KOLKATA: The road diversions devised to navigate around the Tallah Bridge shutdown seems to have worked out with waiting time reducing drastically on the new routes. Congestions around Shyambazar and subsequently, C R Avenue—especially on the south-bound flank—have eased considerably as the volume of vehicles there has been distributed to other stretches. But it’s not entirely a rosy scene.
Trucks, which are mainly being diverted via Vidyasagar Setu and Belgharia Expressway to the city are leading to jams on the highway, often as far as Salap. Congestions are also being reported on B T Road, near the Indian Statistical Institute, Nivedita Setu and even Sodepur. The situation worsens at night as more and more trucks start entering the city. This, cops said, was the main reason they had been insisting on getting the work on the new level-crossing at the Chitpore yard done at the earliest. “Hopefully, a few trucks will use this other route. With the board exams round the corner—Madhyamik is slated for February 18—we do not want any examinee to get stuck. Specific plans are being drafted,” said a senior officer at Lalbazar. Echoing him, joint CP (traffic) Santosh Pandey said, “There is no denying that Tallah Bridge was an important link between the central and north Kolkata. But alternative routes have been identified for trucks to enter the city. Once the level-crossing is ready, we are expecting a better flow of traffic.”
It has so far been decided that traffic load on two key roads—Pran Krishna Mukherjee Road and Seth Pukur Road adjoining the Lockgate flyover and leading to Tallah bridge — would be studied before a plan is finalised once the level-crossing is built.
Cops said a second worry was the absence of additional parking space. “The board exams will see a lot of kids going to the exam centres in hired or private vehicles. We need to ensure parking space for the extra vehicles. Each school, which will double as exam centres, is being consulted,” said a Lalbazar officer, adding they were considering whether further restrictions were needed in the Tallah area or not.
Work on pulling down the bridge has been on in full swing. One side of the bridge has been flattened out and a new layer of pitch has been laid to ensure heavier mechanical equipment can be moved into the area. “The idea is to use all possible alternative ways that can be utilised once the demolition begins,” said an IPS officer, part of the surveys of the spot. Senior officers said the area around Chitpore and Cossipore was a corridor, where trucks keep moving in and out of the railway yard, and hence, nothing can be planned by keeping them out.
Trucks, which are mainly being diverted via Vidyasagar Setu and Belgharia Expressway to the city are leading to jams on the highway, often as far as Salap. Congestions are also being reported on B T Road, near the Indian Statistical Institute, Nivedita Setu and even Sodepur. The situation worsens at night as more and more trucks start entering the city. This, cops said, was the main reason they had been insisting on getting the work on the new level-crossing at the Chitpore yard done at the earliest. “Hopefully, a few trucks will use this other route. With the board exams round the corner—Madhyamik is slated for February 18—we do not want any examinee to get stuck. Specific plans are being drafted,” said a senior officer at Lalbazar. Echoing him, joint CP (traffic) Santosh Pandey said, “There is no denying that Tallah Bridge was an important link between the central and north Kolkata. But alternative routes have been identified for trucks to enter the city. Once the level-crossing is ready, we are expecting a better flow of traffic.”
It has so far been decided that traffic load on two key roads—Pran Krishna Mukherjee Road and Seth Pukur Road adjoining the Lockgate flyover and leading to Tallah bridge — would be studied before a plan is finalised once the level-crossing is built.
Cops said a second worry was the absence of additional parking space. “The board exams will see a lot of kids going to the exam centres in hired or private vehicles. We need to ensure parking space for the extra vehicles. Each school, which will double as exam centres, is being consulted,” said a Lalbazar officer, adding they were considering whether further restrictions were needed in the Tallah area or not.
Work on pulling down the bridge has been on in full swing. One side of the bridge has been flattened out and a new layer of pitch has been laid to ensure heavier mechanical equipment can be moved into the area. “The idea is to use all possible alternative ways that can be utilised once the demolition begins,” said an IPS officer, part of the surveys of the spot. Senior officers said the area around Chitpore and Cossipore was a corridor, where trucks keep moving in and out of the railway yard, and hence, nothing can be planned by keeping them out.
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