kolkata: Kolkata Port Trust, officially known as Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Trust, will be constructing an 800 meter-long tunnel underneath river Ganges from Kidderpore to Howrah to facilitate hassle-free movement of vehicles, including goods vehicles.
This initiative aims to reduce the traffic congestion in Kolkata and Howrah. The tunnel will reportedly have six lanes.
A flyover will be constructed to connect the Howrah National Highway. A news publication reported that the work on the tunnel is soon going to begin.
According to Kolkata Port Trust, an underground tunnel underneath Ganges is feasible with the Metro authorities already coming up with a tunnel for the East-West metro corridor.
"Containers come from multiple places in the port area. Transporting containers by road creates huge traffic jams. We have taken several measures to prevent traffic congestion. This tunnel will be effective in decongesting Kolkata and Howrah, and surrounding areas. But where the tunnel will be and which two parts it will connect will come up in the survey and DPR," the Port Chairman Vineet Kumar told a news publication.
This tunnel will be the first-of-its-kind in India. A similar kind of tunnel, Liefkenshoek tunnel, lies under river Scheldt in the port of Antwerp in Belgium.
This tunnel is at least 1.37 kilometer long and has two lanes.
Study is being conducted to understand the financial benefits of the tunnel for Kolkata Port and the extent to which it will reduce the traffic congestion.
A detailed project report is being prepared by an international organisation.
Trucks and containers pass daily through Kidderpore dock and Netaji Subhash dock.
Most of the containers use the second Hooghly Bridge, resulting in traffic jams at Kona Expressway, Santragachi and Dunlop.