NHAI plans to set up two flyovers in Barasat

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is planning to set up two flyovers at Barasat in North 24-Parganas.  

The initiative was taken to stop traffic congestion in Barasat particularly in two stretches between Duckbanglow More and Helabattala on National Highway-34 and Duckbanglow More and Champadali More on National Highway-35. 

NHAI officials held a meeting with their counterparts in the state government and the Detailed Project Report was being prepared. Traffic jam has always been a problem in Barasat as the two National Highways are not too wide here. It was neither possible for the state government or the NHAI to demolish the buildings that had come up on the roadside. As it was difficult to widen the road by demolishing constructions, it was decided that the two flyovers will be constructed — one on the National highway-34 between Duckbanglow More and Helabattala and the other on National Highway-35 between Duckbunglow More and Champadali More. 

Due to lack of private roads, there was always a huge traffic pressure on the highways. As there is no alternative road to reach Barasat station, the police cannot stop the vanrickshaws, e-rickshaws, autos and other slow-moving vehicles from hitting the highways. As a result, traffic movement becomes slow on both the highways. 

It has been learnt that the work order was issued in November last year, following which the construction of the widening Jessore road was started. The widening of Jessore road in the stretches between Gouripur in Birati and Barasat Duckbunglow More into four lanes is underway. The project costs around Rs 50 crore. There will be 9 metre road on the either side of the four lane road and the divider will be of 1.2 metre. There are some places in the 7.2 km stretch between Gouripur and Duckbanglow, where the private road cannot be constructed beside the four the four lane road due to the unavailability of space. A service road will be constructed along the four lane Jessore road between Bakhra and BT College whereas in the stretches between BT College and Duckbanglow road service road cannot be set up as there was not enough space in the area. 

After the construction of the proposed fly over between Duckbanglow and Helabattala, the North Bengal bound vehicles will be able to take the flyover to avoid traffic congestion, whereas the other fly over will help to remove the traffic flow at Champadali More. Now, the Petrapol bound vehicles often find traffic jam in Barasat.