12 Kolkata: As per the traffic police's specification, RVNL has doubled the width of the new road at Metropolitan. It is now waiting for the nod for girder-launching at the Chingrighata crossing. Withholding the NOC for the Metro, cops had said the 8.5m road width at the Metropolitan end was too short to accommodate three-lane traffic. RVNL has now widened the width to 16m.
Sources said a team from the traffic department inspected the widened road on Monday but have not come up with the permission for the girder-launching yet.
The new 550m long road may prove to be a crucial solution for decongesting Chingrighata, the busiest intersection of the 29km EM Bypass. Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL), implementing the New Garia-Airport Metro corridor (Orange Line), had carved out the roadway from Metropolitan, along Captain Bheri and KMC's Dhapa lockgate to the Chingrighata crossing. Vehicles bound for Ultadanga can be diverted through it while girder-launching work is on over the Chingrighata intersection.
TOI has been reporting since Feb 15 that the Orange Line has hit the Chingrighata hurdle once again. Construction to bridge the final 360m of viaduct gap for the 8km Ruby-Sector V section has halted right next to the bustling intersection because an NOC from the cops was unavailable. "With this last-minute delay, RVNL will miss the April deadline to reach the Sector V interface with East-West Metro (Green Line)," a Railways official said. "We badly need to proceed with the 500-tonne girder-launcher that is stuck beside Chingrighata crossing. We have been pleading with Kolkata Police since Feb 2 for a six-night traffic block (split in two phases) to launch two spans (28m and 34m) between piers 317 and 319," he said.
On Sunday, as reported by TOI, state fire service minister Sujit Bose, who is the MLA of Bidhannagar, inspected the spot and promised to look into the matter.
TOI on Jan 28 reported that RVNL has built this alternative road for traffic diversion during the nights the Ultadanga-bound flank is closed. When the span between piers 318-319 is launched, the New Garia-bound flank shall be closed, and traffic will traverse the present Ultadanga-bound flank while vehicles headed for Ultadanga will use the new road.
It is a sturdy thoroughfare with a 600m thick slab culvert constructed to cover two old KMC sewer lines. Most of the road passes through the Dhapa lock pumping station, where five Metro pillars – 313 to 317 – stand. The traffic restriction is necessary because girder-launching involves the massive girder-launcher machine, lifting heavy precast segments and positioning them for a continuous viaduct (on which Metro tracks will be laid).