The flyover stretching from Jinjira Bazar to Batanagar is absolutely on track with the Mamata Banerjee government making an alternative plan for the construction of the flyover. In the new plan, the length of the flyover has been reduced to 6.8 km instead of 7.4 km that was proposed earlier. The revised estimated cost that has been prepared after the new plan has also come down a bit from Rs 248 crore to Rs 243 crore
A top official of the Urban Development department said that the project ramps on the Jinjira Bazar-Taratala side involved 535 metre lands in two stretches that belongs to the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT). "The obligation for Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) was to provide access to the site for the concessionaire. However, after repeated letters and meetings with KoPT obligation, the deadlock remained," he said.
The KMDA along with the executing agency Larsen & Toubro conducted several inspections and surveys with the concessionaire and it was observed that a number of common utilities like high tension and low tension cables of CESC and water supply lines of Kolkata Metropolitan Waterways Sanitation Authority (KMWSA) and Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) was under the ground in that portion.
It was impossible to shift those and get availability of working space of piles/pile caps followed by pier in the KoPT portion. Following this, the alternative plan was made involving all the stakeholders."The flyover's length may have been tweaked a bit but the other activities such as widening of roads, construction of surface drains will be done in such a manner keeping provision of junction improvement at the Jinjira Bazar crossing so that the project's purpose of a fast track corridor that will reduce the travel time from half an hour to ten minutes is fulfilled," Urban Development minister Firhad Hakim said
The KMDA has set a March 2018 target in completing the construction of the flyover which is now on in full swing.
The flyover will be the first in the city to be built on a PPP model. The Centre will bear 35 percent of the cost since this is a JnNURM project. Delhi has sanctioned Rs 86.8 crore. The rest will be borne by the consortium of River Bank Holdings and its joint venture partner L&T Dabriwala.
Soucres in the Urban Development department said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has future plans of taking one flank of the flyover to Joka another flank to connect Tollygunge Phari, Anwar Shah Road and Jadavpur and right up to Garia." However, the extension plan will depend on the availability of funds," a KMDA official said.