VIP Road-Salt Lake 42-metre Bailey bridge ready to be opened to traffic: KMDA official
Telegraph | 11 February 2026
A 42-metre Bailey bridge connecting Dakshindari on VIP Road and Salt Lake’s AA Block is ready to be opened to traffic, an official of the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) said.
Officials said they have written to Bidhannagar police to throw the bridge open. Once operational, the two-way bridge — serving commuters from VIP Road to Salt Lake and vice versa — could significantly reduce travel time for Salt Lake residents heading to the airport.
KMDA officials said that an opening in the median divider on VIP Road could allow vehicles coming from Salt Lake to take a right turn toward the airport. However, whether the turn will finally be permitted is up to the police.
A senior officer of Bidhannagar City Police said the traffic plan is being worked out. “Whether a right turn will be allowed or not is something we are now planning. We will communicate the decision to everyone,” the officer said.
Currently, residents of Salt Lake must reach the Ultadanga crossing before accessing VIP Road en route to the airport. The new bridge is expected to cut over 2km off the route, bypassing a congested stretch.
Construction of the bridge began in late October 2025 and cost ₹6.22 crore. The KMDA had aimed to complete it by the end of 2025, but operational issues delayed the deadline by over a month, a KMDA official said.
The two-way bridge is 7.5 metres wide and is the second Bailey bridge across the canal separating VIP Road from Salt Lake. The other one-way bridge connects Kestopur with Salt Lake.
“We have written to Bidhannagar City Police informing them that the bridge is ready and they can throw it open to traffic. We have also conducted a joint inspection with the police,” a KMDA official said.
The Bidhannagar police officer added: “A date of inauguration will be decided in consultation with the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation and other agencies involved in the bridge’s construction.”
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) built the bridge, while the KMDA executed the project. GRSE brought units to the site and assembled them to complete the structure. The bridge is made of structural steel with a concrete foundation.
A board put up by GRSE restricts the speed limit to 20kmph.
KMDA officials said traffic snarls on the Ultadanga-bound flank of VIP Road had become common, as many commuters try to access EM Bypass. Vehicles use the flyover that starts from VIP Road and ends near Salt Lake. The new Bailey bridge will provide an alternative route.
The KMDA has installed reflective spring post barriers on the Salt Lake road that vehicles will enter from the bridge. “There is likely to be a massive increase in the number of cars and two-wheelers using this road. The barriers will demarcate lanes for opposite-moving traffic,” said the KMDA official.
The bridge will also benefit commuters heading to offices in New Town and Sector V, as they can use Salt Lake roads to reach their destinations.