Garden Reach flyover to be thrown open tomorrow

KOLKATA: Commuters will be able to access the

Garden Reach

flyover from Friday. The 4km-long four-lane flyover that has been set up by the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) at a cost of Rs 340 crore will make commuting between Garden Reach and south Kolkata quicker and ease traffic congestion on the crucial Kolkata Port-Circular Garden Reach Road (CGR Road).

The flyover will connect Diamond Harbour Road near

Majerhat

bridge and

Brooklyn Crossing at Garden Reach

with the expected time to cross the stretch coming down to 15 minutes. The road in use — CGR Road — runs in a different direction and takes anything between 30 and 40 minutes to cover, mainly because of heavy port traffic. It is also one of the most accident-prone zones in the city, consistently ranking in the top five worst stretches over five years.

Police said no commercial vehicle will be allowed to ply on the flyover. Trailers, containers, buses and autos will have to continue using CGR Road. More importantly, like other flyovers in the city, no bike will be allowed on the flyover at night.

Some locals in the Majerhat area, though, are keeping their fingers crossed. “We already witness huge traffic snarls at Mominpore. With added cars at the crossing after they come off the bridge, we are not too sure of the impact,” said Arjun Singh, a resident of Ramnagar.

Town planners questioned the need to have the flank only from Ramnagar. “Four-wheeler traffic from Ramnagar is limited. What needs to be done is construct another ramp from Budge Budge Trunk Road that witnesses traffic clogging Majerhat bridge.

An officer said segregation of corridors for small cars and heavy vehicles would benefit both types of traffic.

“Containers are currently allowed to ply between 8am and noon, and again between 5pm and 8pm. Once the flyover opens, we might allow them to use CGR Road throughout the day.”

Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.