Major hurdle cleared, construction work on Tala Bridge back on track

Kolkata: The construction of the new Tala Bridge has crossed a major hurdle with the Eastern Railway (ER) starting to shift its quarters that fell on the alignment of the ramp to link the new bridge with Cossipore Road.

The work for the ramp which is an integral part of the new bridge was stuck for the last few months because of the 38 railway quarters that came in its way.

According to sources, 12 families have been relocated in various railway quarters in the Chitpur area while the rest will be moved out within some days and the entire staff quarters vacated for Public Works Department (PWD) to start its construction work.

PWD is the implementing agency of the bridge reconstruction project which badly required this site to build a wider and longer ramp to connect Cossipore Road with the upcoming Tala Bridge for smooth movement of vehicles from Shyambazar to Dunlop.

The PWD had released Rs 11crore to ER in September for the staff quarter rehabilitation. "Presently all decks are cleared and the bridge seems perfectly on track to be completed by May next year," a PWD official said.

A 240-metre section of the 750 m new bridge will stand over the Tala tracks in the ER zone.

ER needs the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) to give its approval to the crucial girder-launching across the railway tracks because the latter is the autonomous body under the ministry of civil aviation that must clear any new railway project across India.

The dismantling work of the 57-year-old Tala Bridge which was a crucial link between Kolkata and the northern fringes had began in February 2020 after RITES and most importantly Bridge and Construction expert V.K Raina had recommended that the condition of the bridge was beyond repair and should be pulled down.

The Rs 350 crore bridge is being constructed by Larsen & Toubro.