Traffic on the Bypass took a hit on Saturday as the Chingrighata flyover remained shut for the CMDA to run a check on its load-bearing capacity.

The flyover was closed to traffic on Friday night.

Heavy vehicles, including trucks and buses, have been banned on the flyover since September 2018.

Police said small vehicles will be allowed on the flyover from Monday morning.

On Saturday, the Bypass saw a huge surge in traffic as vehicles could not use the flyover to reach Sector V.

A spell of rain added to the problem with vehicles slowing down and the snarl getting bigger by the minute, the police said.

The worst-hit were vehicles headed for Ultadanga either from the Ruby roundabout or the Parama flyover. Around 2.30 pm, vehicles almost came to a stop on the Bypass-bound flank of the Parama flyover.

The approach to the flyover from the Bypass was closed and cops were posted to direct vehicles to take the road.

“What made things more difficult was the merger of vehicles near Spring Club — vehicles coming down the Parama flyover and those moving on the Bypass,” an officer overseeing traffic in the area said.

“If the road ahead was straight, vehicles would have probably dispersed faster. But the road curves ahead and everyone has to slow down,” the officer said.

The Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority, which maintains the structure, will mount lorries and trailers with varying loads on the flyover to examine the capacity of the pillars to bear the load.