Belgharia flyover to remain closed from Jan 17 for repairs

Kolkata: Repair work on the Belgharia Railway flyover will begin on January 17, during which the bridge will remain closed for an indefinite period. Defects in the girders of the flyover had come to light a few months ago.

The Belgharia flyover is a major lifeline for the northern suburbs, connecting BT Road to the Kalyani Expressway via MB Road at Nimta More. It also provides easy access to Birati. Given the heavy volume of daily traffic using the flyover, discussions have been underway for nearly a month on alternative traffic arrangements and related issues.

A health check-up of the flyover was conducted after the Railways flagged defects in the bridge girders. This was followed by administrative-level discussions. In December, a joint inspection was carried out by officials from the Public Works Department (PWD), Railways, police and Kamarhati municipality, who concluded that the bridge required immediate repairs. Faults were detected in 12 girders on either side of the flyover.

Following a series of meetings involving all stakeholders, it was decided that repair work would commence on January 17. According to the PWD, the work is expected to take three-and-a-half to four months to complete. The police have already put traffic management measures in place to prevent congestion. Vehicles will be diverted through alternative routes. Passengers travelling from BT Road to Birati via Nimta will be required to proceed through Rath Tala intersection, then take Nilganj Road, Sindhu Star intersection, Texmaco Road, railway gate number 8, and finally reach Culture Junction on MB Road.

Vehicles travelling from the Birati side towards BT Road will have to first reach Culture Junction on MB Road, then take a right turn onto Old Nimta Road, and proceed to BT Road via railway gate number 2 and the Sindhu Store intersection on Nilganj Road.

To assist commuters, police personnel will install signage at various locations, while the municipality will make public announcements through loudspeakers.