Road from Salt Lake to airport to be made easy with bridge construction

The Left Front government had taken up the same project that had failed due to a faulty execution of plan causing a loss of Rs 1.5 crores to the state’s exchequer.

It may be recalled that, in 2007, the Left Front government had taken up a plan to construct a bridge across the canal to ease movement of traffic for the residents of Salt Lake and its adjacent areas. But the project had failed due to its faulty design.

Pillars had come up on both sides of the canal and the superstructure of the bridge was also constructed.The engineers had started facing problem in constructing the structure to connect the superstructure of the bridge with the road beneath.

The reason being not enough space was left on both sides of the bridge to construct the structures.

Despite trying to find a way out to complete the bridge then, the engineers had failed to complete the project and it was left half done with the superstructure hanging on the pillars.

Local people often crack jokes saying that they need to carry a ladder with them to climb on to the bridge if they want to avail it to go across the canal.

Thus, the construction of a bridge to help people reach places including airport from Salt Lake without facing any trouble was a demand before the Trinamool Congress government.

Residents of the area had urged the local MLA Purnendu Basu urging initiative for the same.The state irrigation department had taken up the project to construct the bridge after being approached by Basu.

The bridge will come up at a little distance from the place where the half done one still exists.

The new bridge will come up at a project cost of Rs 2.5 crores.

Cars and two-wheelers will be allowed to use the bridge to go across the canal. The movement of buses and trucks will be restricted on the bridge. The soil testing before starting the construction work is complete.

Basu said that the construction would start sometime soon after the monsoon. At present, residents of Salt Lake need to drive extra miles up to Ultadanga to take Kazi Nazrul Islam Sarani to reach the airport or else they need to travel 11 km extra taking Biswa Bangla Sarani.

But with the construction of the bridge they can easily reach Kestopur and avail Kazi Nazrul Islam Sarani to reach the airport.

Protyush Banerjee, a local resident, said that this had been a long standing demand of the people in the area.

It will also bring down the traffic load on Ultadanga as cars from Salt Lake heading towards the airport will take the shortcut by availing the bridge that will come up across the canal.

Only heavy vehicles need to pass through Ultadanga crossing as those cannot avail the bridge.