West Bengal: Kulpi bridge to open soon, spare tourists detour

KULPI: Kulpi Bridge, which was closed for repairs for nearly a month, will be functional soon. The bridge is crucial for the tourists heading from Kolkata to spots like Bakkhali, Frazergunj and Gangasagar, apart from connecting areas like Namkhana, Kakdwip, Patharpratima.
The bridge on National Highway 117 was closed after Durga Puja when officials noticed some damages that required immediate repairs. While some repair work was being done, major repair was started after the Puja was over. Police had to take the decision to divert traffic earlier this week.
After the bridge was temporarily shut down, tourists and commuters had to take a detour. On a normal day, the 8km stretch from Hatugunj to Kulpi More took nearly 10 minutes. This detour required commuters to travel another 8km to reach Kulpi More. This diversion also caused traffic congestion leading to increased travel time.
Suparna Mukherjee, who had travelled to Bakkhali recently, said the detour took an additional hour to reach the sea coast. “For anyone travelling from Kolkata, the traffic congestion took additional time. It varies between 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. We were not aware of the traffic diversion initially and were stuck near a narrow road,” Mukherjee said.
Sukanta Saha, sub-divisional officer of Diamond Harbour, said the repairs were extremely necessary. “We are aware of the travel woes locals and tourists are going through now. Primary repairs are complete. The last phase of major repair work requires traffic diversion. We are seeking cooperation of the locals and tourists,” he said.
PWD executive engineer Kaushik Sengupta said the damaged portions under the bridge have already been replaced. “Some portions that have concrete structures have been replaced. But we needed traffic diversion to complete the work. We are hopeful of completing the work by the end of the coming week,” he said.