The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) has initiated the construction of a crucial culvert over the canal at Tagore Park on EM Bypass for the purpose of widening the road. It was stated that this construction would alleviate traffic congestion, particularly when a section of the existing culvert is closed off to build a 76-metre stretch of the New Garia-Airport Metro viaduct.
However, due to the delayed commencement of the culvert construction, which has caused a setback in the viaduct work, it is anticipated that the Metro corridor will not meet the December deadline for extending the project until Metropolitan, unless the police grant permission to cordon off the existing stretch.
Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL) has expressed the immediate need for the Tagore Park site to bridge the viaduct gap and complete the second phase of the Orange Line, which involves a 4-kilometre extension beyond Ruby. KMDA officials have mentioned that the traffic diversion and the construction block can occur simultaneously since there are six lanes on the Ruby-bound side of the Bypass culvert and three lanes on the Science City-bound side. However, the Kolkata Traffic Police has raised concerns about managing the flow of vehicles due to the presence of a hospital and a school at that particular junction.
The spot experiences heavy merging traffic. If the culvert construction isn't completed and the carriageway isn't widened, it will result in significant traffic congestion.
The viaduct, where the tracks are laid, is continuous until the Metropolitan crossing, except for a 76-metre gap at Tagore Park after Ruby. RVNL has sent a letter to the traffic department indicating their inability to meet the December commissioning target for the next phase unless the traffic block along the western flank at Tagore Park is immediately provided.
A truncated 5-kilometre section of the 32-kilometer New Garia-Airport line, spanning from New Garia to Ruby, is prepared for launch. The people of Kolkata eagerly await the 4-kilometrer extension, which would allow them to travel 41 kilometres, from the northern suburbs of Dakshineswar to Metropolitan crossing in east Kolkata, via the Kavi Subhas terminal interchange at New Garia, using the Metro.
Amid heavy rainfall, the culvert widening work commenced at Tagore Park on Wednesday, causing slow traffic movement. The culvert widening on the western flank is part of a comprehensive plan devised five years ago to alleviate congestion and facilitate Metro construction.
RVNL and Metro Railway, responsible for operating the city's Metro network, are making concerted efforts to meet the public's expectations of a seamless commute. When Metro Railway initially set a December deadline for extending the Orange Line to Sector V, they considered the delays caused by site handover, prompting RVNL to plan a more realistic extension to Metropolitan. The Chingrighata site was only recently handed over, and only half of the Metropolitan site is available. We cannot complete Metro lines without the support of the state government.
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