Traffic curbs for PM visit & ‘Brigade Rally’, Vidyasagar Setu to remain closed on Mar 15

Kolkata: Traffic restrictions will be imposed across parts of Kolkata on Saturday in connection with the visit of the Prime Minister and a political rally, while Vidyasagar Setu will remain fully closed to vehicular traffic from 6 am to 6 pm on March 15 (Sunday) for repair work, according to notifications issued by the Kolkata Police.

According to a notification, vehicular movement will be regulated on several roads on Saturday, including Esplanade Ramp, KP Road, Hospital Road, Lovers Lane, Casuarina Avenue and Queensway. Goods vehicles within Kolkata Police jurisdiction will remain restricted from 4 am to 8 pm, except those carrying LPG cylinders, CNG, petroleum products, lubricants, oxygen, vegetables, medicines, fruits, fish and milk.

Parking will not be allowed around Victoria Memorial Hall, including the stretch of AJC Bose Road between Hastings Crossing and Cathedral Road, as well as Khidderpore Road, Hospital Road, Queensway, Cathedral Road, Casuarina Avenue and Lovers Lane.

Police said vehicular movement, including tram cars, may be temporarily suspended or diverted and parking restricted along the procession routes and the VVIP route between 4 am and 8 pm. Traffic may also be diverted from arterial and feeder roads as required.

In a separate notification, police said vehicular movement on Vidyasagar Setu will remain suspended from 6 am to 6 pm on March 15 to facilitate replacement of stay cables, holding-down cables and bearings by the Hooghly River Bridge Commissioners.

During the closure, vehicles approaching the bridge from AJC Bose Road on the Zeerut Island side will be diverted via Turf View and Hastings Crossing towards St George’s Gate Road and Strand Road to access Howrah Bridge, or turn towards KP Road. Traffic from KP Road on the JN Island side and CGR Road from the Khidderpore side towards the bridge will also be diverted through Hastings Crossing and St George’s Gate Road towards Howrah Bridge.

Vehicles approaching the ramp near Ghora Pass on KP Road will be diverted towards 11 Furlong Gate and then through KP Road and Red Road to reach Howrah Bridge.

Meanwhile, about 3,000 police personnel will be deployed on Saturday in connection with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the city. According to sources, the Brigade Parade ground where the Prime Minister will be addressing the gathering has been secured with multi-layer security.

The entire area adjacent to the Brigade Parade Ground has been divided into multiple zones and sectors. The arrangement of each of the sectors will be looked after by one Deputy Commissioner ranked police officer while each of the zones will be under supervision of a Joint Commissioner of Police (Jt. CP) ranked official. The overall security of the Prime Minister in Bengal will be looked after by the Additional Director General (ADG), Coastal Security, HK Kusumakar. Also, vigilance will be kept on the Maidan area from high-rise buildings and through the CCTV cameras that have been installed in and around the venue.