Bally Bridge shut, cops break railing for alternative route
Times of India | 24 January 2025
12 Kolkata/Howrah: Commuters' inconvenience due to the closure of a lane of Bally Bridge forced police to create an alternative route by breaking a concrete railing next to the Bally Halt station on Thursday morning.
Renovation of the Ballyghat-Bally Halt Road and the Dakshineswar-Ballyghat flank of Bally Bridge, formally called Vivekananda Setu, started on Wednesday night. The work will continue till 4 am on Jan 27. The Ballyghat-Bally Halt Road will stay shut to vehicles for 100 hours. ER announced trains in the Sealdah-Dankuni section would be suspended for 100 hours to replace the girders between Bally Bridge and Bally Halt.
The closure forced many office-goers to take a longer route to reach Rajchandrapur. Some, looking for a shortcut, even took the risk of clambering across the concrete railing, before it was broken down. Some were spotted arguing with cops over the trouble they had to face, especially in the rush hour. "I started walking from Bally Canal as there was no transport available. Cops said I would get buses from the toll tax point," said a commuter. Belur resident Anirban Ghosh said, "I have been walking for 40 minutes. I didn't expect this kind of inconvenience."
An officer said, "We broke the railing, using a gas-cutter, to make way for their easier commute."
Sujata Kumari Vinapani, DC Traffic of Howrah City Police, said, "All buses and cars towards Bally Halt from Dakshineswar are being diverted via Nivedita Bridge, and buses from Nivedita Bridge to Bally Halt are using the Jaipur Bridge underpass on NH-16. All four-wheelers from Zero Point to Bally Halt are being diverted via Nivedita Bridge." She added traffic cops can divert vehicles as required.