Flyover tender beats poll time bar

KOLKATA: One of the city’s most important infrastructure projects — the Gariahat-bound arm of Maa flyover — will not be delayed owing to the model code of conduct as the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) on Sunday invited bids for the project just hours before the Election Commission declared the Lok Sabha election schedule. Had the tenders not been floated prior to the announcement of poll dates, the process would have been deferred till the conclusion of the election process.
KMDA’s swift action has set a record of sorts with the bids being invited less than month after the project was firmed up.Railway consultancy RITES has done the feasibility study of the arm that will branch from the Park Circus-bound flank of the Maa flyover along with a shorter Park Circus-bound flyover from Anil Moitra Road to Congress Exhibition Road. The Rs 300 crore project is expected to take three years.

KMDA had submitted the tender documents to the state finance department 10 days ago, seeking its approval. The file was cleared on Sunday morning, enabling KMDA to float the tenders.
According to the tender documents, bids have been invited for construction of the left-turning ramp from west-bound link of Maa flyover along Syed Amir Ali Avenue in north-south direction terminating just south of the crossing of Anil Moitra Road and Gariahat Road and another arm terminating short of Congress Exhibition Road and Syed Amir Ali Avenue crossing.
KMDA has engaged a consultant to supervise the construction. The bids will be opened on March 28. The last date of submission of bids is April 17. Technical bids will be opened on April 19.
Officials said the construction agency that wins the bid will be made aware of the congestion at the site. Syed Amir Ali Avenue is one of Kolkata’s busiest corridors. There are three schools – Queen of the Mission, Modern High School and The BSS — on this stretch with several more, including Patha Bhavan and South Point, off it. The company undertaking construction will have to make necessary traffic diversion in consultation with traffic police. KMDA has stated that it will hand over the site in phases, depending on stretches that the traffic department can give up after planning the vehicular diversions. The tramline on the stratech will also have to be removed.