The Chingrighata overbridge on EM Bypass in east Kolkata will be thrown open on Thursday.
The overbridge that has escalators, stairs and cycle ramps on two sides will aid in safe movement of pedestrians who keep crossing over the busy artery throughout the day risking lives.
Connecting Chaulpatty Road and Jal Vayu Vihar on either end of EM Bypass, the overbridge will be inaugurated a little over a month since chief minister Mamata Banerjee had expressed her concern over the rising accidents at the Chingrighata intersection while addressing an administrative review meeting on November 17.
Senior officials of Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) — which is executing the project following recommendations of experts from IIT Kharagpur — said a cycle ramp would be a first on an overbridge across EM Bypass.
“Cycle ramps have been built because a considerable number of residents of Sukanta Nagar and Shanti Nagar cross over from the eastern side towards Beleghata to fetch water on cycles,” said a senior KMDA official.
The Chingrighata crossing — where roads from Sector V, Beleghata and Chaulpatty meet — is one of the busiest intersections on the 29km-long EM Bypass.
In a recent police report, officers have observed that the number of cyclists crossing this intersection has gone up manifold during the pandemic.
Ahead of the inauguration of the facility, built at an estimated Rs 7 crore, a section of police officers said they were still sceptical about the number of cyclists who would use the overbridge. It may not be easy for many to walk down the ramp with huge water cans hanging from cycles, they said.
But officers admitted fewer pedestrian crossovers would mean faster movement of vehicles.
“Ultadanga-bound vehicles will now move faster considering this flank accommodates vehicles from both the Parama flyover and EM Bypass,” said a senior officer of Kolkata police. “It will be easier to enforce discipline among pedestrians than make them wait restlessly at the crossing against a hand-help rope.”
After the overbridge is inaugurated, officers will block the space in the middle of the intersection to make way for construction of a pillar for the New Garia-Airport Metro rail link.
“A pillar has come up near the intersection where the old office of the Beleghata traffic guard stood. The next pillar — number 318 — will come up right in the middle,” said the officer.
“There will be a traffic block at the location for around three months, within which the construction of the pillar will be completed.”
Senior officers said a trial run would be held next week to see how much traffic flow would be affected on EM Bypass once the construction work began. After making necessary amends, Lalbazar will give a traffic block to RVNL, the implementing agency of the Metro Railway.
