State approves Rs 727 cr flyover from Metropolitan Crossing

Kolkata: The Finance department has approved Rs 727 crore for the proposed flyover from Metropolitan Crossing at EM Bypass to New Town.

Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) will execute the construction of the four-lane flyover stretching 7 km, the tender for which will be floated soon.

As per alignment, the flyover will start from Metropolitan Crossing and move over Chingrighata. It will then take a right turn to enter Salt Lake Bypass and move in parallel to the Metro alignment, take a right turn from Nicco Park and move over the pavement on the west before entering Sector V.

In the last lap, it will pass the wetlands to terminate at New Town. There will be entry and exit ramps at several places in the flyover, including Sector V and Karunamoyee, so it does not create a problem in crowd dispersal with the East-West Metro project presently running from Sector V to Sealdah.

“The flyover has been conceived as an alternative to Chingrighata flyover which according to experts should be dismantled as it is beyond bounds for long-term repair,” a senior official of Nabanna said.

Regulating the movement of traffic will be a major challenge during the construction of the proposed flyover so the KMDA plans to keep the Chingrighata flyover operational till the new flyover is completed. KMDA has also taken up with West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd for shifting of utilities at Chingrighata to facilitate the construction of the flyover.

“Travel time from Metropolitan to New Town and hence to Kolkata airport will go down significantly once the flyover is complete,” a KMDA engineer said. KMDA hopes to award the work order for the construction of the flyover before the Durga Puja.