Rehearsals for the Republic Day parade on Red Road have prompted multiple traffic restrictions in pockets of south Kolkata. The curbs will remain till the Republic Day event.
Durations of restrictions
Traffic will be regulated on a number of roads around the Maidan between 4am and 9am on January 17, 18, 20 and 21 and between 6.30am and 12.30pm on January 22 and 24, officers of the traffic department in Kolkata police said.
Vehicular traffic will remain suspended on several roads.
Road restrictions
Hospital Road, Lovers Lane, Queensway, Casuarina Avenue, Plassey Gate Road, Kidderpore Road, Red Road, Rani Rashmoni Avenue (southern flank) between Government Place East and Government Place West, and Kingsway will be closed to traffic from 4am to 9am on January 17, 18, 20 and 21, and from 6.30am to 12.30pm on January 22 and 24.
Traffic diversions
BBD Bag-bound traffic will be diverted in the following manner
⚫ Vehicles along Alipore Road and Belvedere Road will be diverted through Zeerut Bridge and vehicles moving through DL Khan Road towards AJC Bose Road will be diverted through AJC Bose Road, St Georges Gate Road, Strand Road, Kingsway and Government Place (West).
⚫ Vehicles moving north along Harish Mukherjee Road will be diverted through Cathedral Road, Jawaharlal Nehru Road and Mayo Road.
⚫ Vehicles that move south through Red Road from the direction of Howrah may be diverted through Esplanade Row (East), Rani Rashmoni Avenue, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Mayo Road, Dufferin Road, Outram Road, Kingsway and Strand Road.
Police arrangements
Police arrangements have been made to ensure that vehicles do not enter the rehearsal route, as had happened in 2016 causing the death of airforce corporal Abhimanyu Gaud.
A speeding Audi Q7 had broken multiple cordons and hit Gaud, who was taking part in the rehearsals.
A senior police officer said fog and poor visibility early in the morning can add to the chances of an accident.
“We have made special deployments to ensure that no one breaches the cordon layers,” said an officer in the South division of the city police.