After Bypass, Metro eyes VIP Road work

Kolkata: Along with Chingrighata, cops have granted RVNL another long-pending permission for Orange Line metro work — to bridge a 120m viaduct gap on VIP Road. The seven pillars have been standing near Haj House at Kaikhali on VIP Road. In an order on May 13, Bidhannagar Police allowed Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL), which is implementing the 32km New Garia-Airport corridor or the Orange Line metro, to lift and place the launcher for it to build the viaduct (on which metro tracks are laid) between piers 826 and 832.Once the work is over in four months, there will be a continuous viaduct from the upcoming VIP Road station to the ramp on VIP Road. The no-objection certification (NOC) has been accorded for both traffic diversion and erection of the six concrete spans. Sources said it will take a month to lift the launcher, weighing around 500 MT, and place it between piers 833 and 835. Once the launcher is placed, concrete segments (weighing between 22 tonnes and 34 tonnes) will be lifted and a traffic diversion will be enforced from 11 pm to 5 am, the order issued by the DC (traffic) of Bidhannagar Police said.The Orange Line recently received a boost with the cops clamping a traffic block at Chingrighata crossing so that the last 366m viaduct gap in the Beleghata-Sector V section can be bridged. And now comes another crucial NOC for the Orange Line. For now, traffic flow is not affected. The airport-bound flank had earlier been widened to compensate for the space required to barricade and construct the portal piers (dual-legged structures designed to accommodate curves of the viaduct).Seven piers, including three portal pillars, have come up in this 120m stretch. For months, the three portal piers, 828, 829 and 830, remained partially done for want of permissions from cops, even as traffic trials were conducted. Afcons, contracted for the Orange Line's terminal 3.5km from City Centre II in New Town to the airport, has missed three deadlines for want of traffic blocks on VIP Road. Their package includes two elevated Metro stations at Chinar Park and VIP Road, plus the final 850m underground section to the airport. The mostly elevated Orange Line ducks 850m before the airport, joined by a ramp that is coming up after Kaikhali.