Last hurdle for New Garia-Airport Metro: Construction of 366m viaduct at Chingrighata remains
Telegraph | 13 March 2025
The unavailability of land and other issues that stalled work on a large stretch of the New Garia-Airport Metro project have now been reduced to a mere 366m on EM Bypass, which, the authorities said, was the only remaining hurdle for the project delayed by several years.
The construction of the 366-metre viaduct at the Chingrighata crossing on EM Bypass now awaits permission from the state government for a traffic block to lift concrete segments for two spans, from pier 317 to 318, and pier 318 to 319.
“We have formally sought a traffic block at the Chingrighata crossing in two phases to complete the work, each for three nights, between 10pm and 6am. We are awaiting the nod from the state authorities,” a senior official of Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd, the implementing agency for the project, told Metro.
He said the traffic blocks would be taken on weekends when the traffic volume is relatively lower.
A state government official said the proposal for the traffic block had been sent to Nabanna for clearance. “It is a bustling road, and a lot of aspects need to be taken into account before the clearance is given,” said the official.
The 32km project from New Garia to the airport was originally supposed to be wrapped up by 2016-17 but was delayed because of land logjams at several places.
“Now, most of the land problems have been resolved. The construction of the 4.46km Beleghata-Sector V section is almost complete except for this 366m gap on the Bypass. We are looking at a July 2025 completion for this section, but it depends on bridging this gap,” said the RVNL official.
The Orange Line is now functional on a 5.4km stretch between New Garia and Ruby. Trial runs are underway in the next 4.4km stretch from Ruby to Beleghata. Construction is on from Beleghata to the airport, a distance of just over 19km. The current target to complete the project is March 2026, officials said.
The gap in the viaduct lies between Beleghata and Gour Kishore (Chingrighata) stations. The viaduct would cross the Bypass. Sources said the work has remained stalled since February 2, though construction materials are ready at the site.
“Initially, we were told that the traffic block could not be given because of the Bengal Global Business Summit and Madhyamik examinations,” said a Metro official.
The RVNL has built a 600-metre diversion road following a communication from Kolkata Police. The road through Captain Bheri, the water body off the Bypass, will allow Ultadanga-bound vehicles to avoid the stretch where the traffic block has been planned. When the work starts on the Garia-bound flank, vehicles using that lane will also be diverted through this alternative road, said RVNL officials. Using the Salt Lake Bypass, those vehicles bound for the airport can take the right-turn flyover at Chingrighata towards New Town.
“We will dismantle the road as it cuts through the water body, part of the East Calcutta wetlands and a Ramsar site. The environment department has permitted the building of the road under this condition,” said an RVNL official.
Metro Rail and RVNL officials said several meetings were held with the police and urban development department to resolve the impasse. Some of the ministers and senior officers of Kolkata Police have also held meetings with the railways at the site.
“The state government has helped us a lot. Construction in the Beleghata-airport section is in full swing. We are hopeful the permission for this traffic block will be issued soon,” said an official.
A similar problem had occurred while constructing a 300m stretch at Nabadiganta station at Salt Lake, where land was unavailable.
“The land problem has been resolved, and work has started,” said the RVNL official.
Another problem area was building the tracks from VIP Road to Jai Hind or NSCBI Airport station.
Calcutta airport officials said the problem has been resolved.
“We have paid ₹230 crore to Metro rail authorities for constructing a 90m tunnel under VIP Road,” said an airport official. “We have also provided land inside the airport premises for laying tracks,” he said.
The tunnel will connect the Airports Authority of India residential colony and the airport. The Metro tracks would be built above the tunnel, said the official.