To curb jam: Hakim inaugurates vehicular underpass in New Town

kolkata: Firhad Hakim, Chairman of WBHIDCO, inaugurated a vehicular underpass at New Town, on Thursday, which is expected to ease traffic congestion in the absence of a flyover.

Hakim said: “Earlier, I had inaugurated several pedestrian underpasses in this area but for the first time a vehicular underpass has been constructed. This will help ease traffic congestion in this area. Kolkata has never had such a vehicular underpass before. There are also several hospitals on this route. This underpass will pave the way for smooth movement of vehicular traffic.”

“I have visited several of the new cities in India such as Goregaon and Navi Mumbai but never have I seen such a green development as is apparent in New Town. The credit goes to our chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Even the newly developed stretch in Hyderabad after the Banjara Hills does not come any close to the green development of New Town,” Hakim said.

He highlighted that the construction of the underpass was an engineering challenge. “The engineers had to take care that the construction does not in any way affect the foundation of the Biswa Bangla Gate,” he said.

Debashish Sen, MD, WBHIDCO, said: “The vehicular underpass will be open from Thursday evening for traffic. In Park Street, there is a flyover which takes off some of the traffic load from the road but here, due to the Biswa Bangla gate, a flyover could not be constructed. Hence, this vehicular underpass was constructed.” There are already pedestrian underpasses surrounding this vehicular underpass, at at least four points, he added.

The underpass by WBHIDCO will mainly be availed by smaller vehicles, leaving the bigger ones, such as buses, for the road.