Rain reopens potholes on Kolkata speed corridors

KOLKATA: It has not even been a week since repairs were carried out on the city’s speed corridors and flyovers, and the craters — as deep as two feet in places — have resurfaced. Commuting via these roads has become slow and bonerattling, and it might get worse.


Since last Monday, the various custodians of the city roads —

Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority

for EM Bypass and Public Works Department for Taratala and Mejerhat flyovers — had begun mending the gaping

potholes

and craters by filling them with modified bitumen fragments. However, the patchwork has been washed away after a spell of heavy rain, exposing the potholes again. Driving on these roads has become more dangerous now since the vehicles skid on the loose gravel.

“Watching the authorities repairing the stretch had given us a sense of relief. But now the situation has worsened as the craters have resurfaced and the road has become so uneven and slippery that it is difficult to apply brakes without skidding,” said Avishek Dasgupta, a resident of Behala who regularly uses the Majerhat and Taratala flyovers.

Those manning the traffic said the potholes and craters were slowing down cars on the flyovers. “The road beneath is in an equally bad shape because of the ongoing Metro construction. When the patchwork was undertaken, we had a smooth ride for two days, but the craters have returned to slow down the traffic flow,” said a sergeant posted near Ajanta Cinema on

Diamond Harbour

Road. The officer added that during the peak hours in the evening, it takes vehicles over 30 minutes to cross the 1km stretch between Burdwan Road and Ajanta Cinema.

The situation is similar on Bypass. “We had repaired the stretch between Panchannagram and

VIP

Bazar last Tuesday and by Saturday, the craters have resurfaced. We don’t know what to do,” said a supervisor overseeing the patchwork on Sunday.

“I was riding my bike to Sonarpur last Friday when it skidded on a slippery stretch and fell in a large crater near Ruby Hospital. Luckily, I had my helmet on. However, I was injured and doctors have advised bed rest for a week,” said Santanu Biswas, a private bank executive.

KMDA officials blamed the incessant rain and the Metro construction for the potholes reappearing on the repaired stretches. “The road surface is getting damaged more near the places where Metro work is going on. We are doing patchwork at the damaged places whenever we can — following the modified cold mix road surfacing process. But with the Metro construction work on, we are not being allowed to cordon off lanes and divert traffic so that the mixture can solidify and hold on to the ground for a longer period,” said an official.

PWD officials also blamed the rain and heavy traffic flow for the resurfacing of craters.

“We are trying our best with patchwork repairs, but the heavy rain over the past few days, as well as the steady traffic movement, have made it difficult for any patchwork to stay on. However, once the rain stops, we will take up full-fledged repair work,” an official said.


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