Kolkata: The Vidyasagar Setu will be shut for eight hours this Sunday. Both cops and engineers from HRBC have hinted that these weekend shutdowns—occurring almost every week except for the Christmas week and other major festivals—will continue at least until the end of May next year. Kolkata Police announced the Sunday closure in a notification issued on Thursday, stating that the closure is required for repair and maintenance work.
According to administrative sources, since the bridge's inauguration in 1992, maintenance work was conducted, but the suspension cables were never replaced. This work has now begun. The Vidyasagar Setu is supported by a total of 152 cables. Sources indicate that in the first phase, 19 cables are planned to be replaced. The work is ongoing accordingly. Replacing each cable takes about a month. It has been decided that this phase of work will be completed by May 31, 2026. However, this timeline may be extended if necessary.
According to Kolkata Police, all types of vehicles will be completely prohibited from using the Vidyasagar Setu from 6 am to 2 pm on Sunday. Since Aug, vehicular movement on the bridge was regulated almost every weekend. During the rest of the week, from Monday to Friday, the bridge experiences heavy traffic, with at least 100,000 vehicles crossing daily. Considering this, weekends have been chosen for the bridge repair work.
On some weekends, the bridge is closed for a significant portion of Sunday during the day, while on others, it is shut for 16-17 hours over Saturday and Sunday. Kolkata Police and Howrah Police arrange alternative routes for this.