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Metro pillar work to start at Chingrighata

The construction has been stuck in a logjam for the last few years with the police and KMDA saying that the traffic disruption on the busy corridor may not be manageable

Kinsuk Basu Calcutta Published 17.05.23, 06:19 AM
A portion of the Chingrighata intersection blocked for the traffic trial on Monday.

A portion of the Chingrighata intersection blocked for the traffic trial on Monday. Picture by Sanat Kr Sinha

The Chingrighata intersection on EM Bypass will be handed over to the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited in a day or two for constructing a Metro pillar in the middle of the crossing, Calcutta police have decided. The decision comes with a rider that the work has to be wrapped up within 45 days.

“Pillar number 318” is key to holding the viaduct of the New Garia-Airport Metro link that takes a curve from Chingrighata towards Salt Lake. RVNL is the implementing agency for the project.

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The construction of the pillar has been stuck in a logjam for the last few years with the police and the KMDA — which now maintains EM Bypass — saying that the traffic disruption on the busy corridor may not be manageable.

The police has been running a traffic trial from Saturday till Monday to understand how things will play out on the busy EM Bypass once a portion of the Chingrighata crossing is blocked for the construction.

On Tuesday, senior police officers said the series of changes in traffic trial yielded satisfactory results, barring a few challenges.

“The trial was satisfactory. We would like to hand over the Chingrighata site to RVNL within a day or two so the pillar construction can start,” said an officer.

Through a large part of Monday, traffic moved through the Chingrighata crossing along the two flanks of EM Bypass without many hurdles.

But evening rush-hour vehicles coming from Salt Lake towards EM Bypass took a hit with the police stopping the free left turn towards Science City.

The construction of the Metro pillar will entail blocking a portion of the Chingrighata intersection — 8 metres on either side of the median divider on EM Bypass.

Officers have drawn up changes to tackle possible congestion. Some of these include:

  • Vehicles coming from Salt Lake Bypass are not merging with the ones on EM Bypass
  • A pedestrian refuge island created using guard rails for those crossing over from Sukanta Nagar has been removed. Pedestrians are being directed towards the foot over-bridge
  • The additional road space, after removing the pedes-trian refuge island, has been opened to vehicles headed towards Science City along EM Bypass.
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