Bypass rejig: New lanes carved out to ease jams, trials at Chingrighata to clear metro bottleneck
Telegraph | 18 February 2026
Additional space for vehicles heading to Science City during the evening peak hours has been carved out of EM Bypass between the Chingrighata and the Metropolitan intersections.
Furthermore, police have decided to relocate two existing bus stops situated on the Bypass.
The trials are in the run-up to a series of traffic blocks needed to bridge the Metro viaduct gap at Chingrighata.
The permission for the traffic blocks has been pending for more than a year.
The first lane, around two metres wide and close to 100 metres in length, has been carved out from the Ultadanga-bound flank at the Chingrighata intersection.
The other, almost two metres wide and extending 100 metres, has been made at the Metropolitan crossing, carving out space from the Beleghata-bound flank.
The two new lanes are open for Garia-bound vehicles between 5.30pm and 8pm, when most people return home from work.
But why this tweak?
“If Science City-bound vehicles from Beleghata and Ultadanga arriving at the Chingrighata crossing along EM Bypass get to drain out faster, some extra minutes are earned. This extra time can be utilised for allowing vehicles from Sector V and Nicco Park take a left turn and reach EM Bypass,” a senior officer of the Kolkata Police said.
“The loop cycle of signalling can be better tweaked to manage the dispersal of vehicles better,” he said.
A 366m gap in the Metro viaduct in Chingrighata needs to be filled. To do that, giant concrete segments have to be lifted. The RVNL, executing agency of the Orange Line, which passes through Chingrighata, needs a series of traffic blocks to bridge the gap. The permission for the traffic clearance has not yet arrived from the police.
Chingrighata is one of the busiest intersections in Calcutta.
One of the new lanes begins slightly right of Metro pillar number 318, which stands in the middle of the Chingrighata intersection, and continues for almost 100 metres before vehicles take a left turn to merge with the Garia-bound traffic on EM Bypass near Captain Bheri. A similar lane has also been made at the Metropolitan crossing.
“The traffic trail for the Garia and Science City-bound traffic along EM Bypass will continue for some time, when we will examine how the system plays out and check if additional tweaking is required,” said Yeilwad Shrikant Jagannathrao, deputy police commissioner (Traffic). “The trial is mostly for the peak evening traffic,” he said.
A road built by the RVNL more than a year ago has helped in the current trial. Almost 500 metres long, the road starts near the Metropolitan crossing and reaches Chingrighata intersection with Captain Bheri on the left.
“All heavy vehicles, including buses, headed towards Ultadanga from Science City, as well as smaller vehicles, move down this new stretch of road between 8am and 8.30pm. A relatively lower traffic volume on the existing lane for Ultadanga-bound vehicles has made it possible to find a new lane,” an officer explained.
“If passengers shift, vehicles will find more space at the turns at both the Chingrighata and Beleghata intersections to turn. We have started the necessary dialogue for shifting the two bus stops as a part of the trial,” the officer said.
One of the two sweet shops, adjacent to VIP Sweets, will be moved some 20 metres away near Captain Bheri.
The other is near Paribesh Bhavan, which will now be relocated almost 30 metres further south.