Major road links planned for Kolkata port

KOLKATA: As the city is rapidly moving eastward to develop road and industrial infrastructure connecting Haldia port to the NSC Bose International Airport, PWD is now ready with a Rs 1,000 crore project to link Kolkata Port with the Eastern Expressway.
State PWD minister Amar Chaudhuri has already discussed the project with Union surface transport minister B.C.Khanduri and sought the Centre’s help to accomplish it.
They would further discuss the issue on Friday during Khanduri’s visit for the bhoomipuja to widen NH 41 into four lanes from Kolaghat to Haldia.
According to state PWD secretary Swapan Chakraborty, the Kolkata Port Connectivity Project would connect Joka in the southern fringe of Kolkata and Barasat in North 24-Parganas with Kolkata port.
To construct a Barasat bypass, Rs 200 crore will be spent. From there, the road will join National Highway 34 leading to north Bengal.
The state wants the National Highway Authority of India to fund and implement the project that would expedite cargo movement from the north-east and neighbouring countries. NHAI has undertaken a Rs 3,500-crore project to widen NH 2, 6, 31 and 41 in this state.
The Eastern Expressway project will be funded by the Japan Bank of International Co-operation. Japan is keen on funding it in the wake of chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s recent visit.
Known as Bhattacharjee’s dream project, it envisages a 3.5-km bridge over the Hooghly, between Raichak and Kukrahati connecting Haldia port, the proposed Kulpi port, NSCBI Airport and the Falta special economic zone. The expressway joining the bridge will run through the southern suburbs before linking with NH 34 beyond Barasat. The preliminary cost of the bridge is Rs 1,300 crore.
Chakraborty met JBIC officials in Delhi last week and apprised them of the environmental study for the project done by a private agency.