Now, travel to Kalyani-Dankuni in 30 minutes

Kolkata: Come 2021, the distance between Kalyani in Nadia and Dankuni in Hooghly can be covered in only 30 minutes with the completion of Iswar Gupta Setu on River Hooghly in four years' time. West Bengal Highway Development Corporation Limited (WBHDCL) has taken the initiative to start the construction of the bridge from January 2018.

Construction of the bridge will not only create a connection between Hooghly and Nadia districts, but it will reduce travel time between North and South Bengal.

The official said that the decision to construct the Iswar Gupta Setu was taken after the existing one was found in a poor condition. Though the state Public Works Department (PWD) is carrying out repairing work of the old one, the administration would allow plying of only light vehicles on it after it opens and heavy vehicles will have to take the new one, construction of which will begin in January 2018.

According to a senior official of WBHDCL, tender to engage agency that will undertake construction of the bridge has already been floated and it would take another one month and a half to complete such works. So it is expected that construction of the Iswar Gupta Setu will start from January next year.

With the completion of the project, there will be a direct access from Delhi Road in Hooghly to National Highway 34 that connects North Bengal. A vehicle from Delhi Road will have to take right turn from Mogra in Hooghly and it will lead onto Iswar Gupta Setu to go across the river where a connecting road leads straight to National Highway 34 at Bara Jaguli in Nadia via Kampa.

In a bid to ensure that vehicles do not need to pass through narrow lanes after crossing the bridge that increases the chances of traffic congestion, a 6 km long elevated corridor will be constructed from Kampa More to Baro Jaguli.

Similarly, a six-lane rail over-bridge is under construction at Mogra in Hooghly. The construction work is expected to be complete by June, 2018. It will also help in ensuring smooth movement of traffic a few kilometres ahead of the bridge.

At present, vehicles heading to Nadia, North 24-Parganas and North Bengal districts need to pass through Barasat via Nivedita Setu. As a result it takes not less than two-and-a-half hours time to reach Kalyani in Nadia from Dankuni, Hooghly.

But with completion of Iswar Gupta Setu, the time to travel the same distance will get reduced to only 30 minutes, the official said.