Raiganj: The National Highway Authorities of India (NHAI) have constructed approximately 12 km of bypass road from Rupahar to Barduari in Raiganj, diverting traffic away from the town centre. This newly-constructed bypass road was opened for traffic on April 15. Consequently, the old NH34 in Raiganj town remains abandoned. Raiganj residents have urged the municipality authorities to utilise this unused portion of NH 34 to address the town’s traffic congestion issues.
It has been noted that Raiganj station lies in the heart of the town, with a Railway track running from east to west through the town centre. This track includes two level crossings. The closure of the west-side gate of the crossing leads to significant traffic congestion along both MG Road and NS Road, a problem that has persisted for years. With no alternative roads within the town, both the Raiganj Municipality and district administration have failed to alleviate the traffic congestion, causing significant inconvenience to residents.
Atanubandhu Lahiri, General Secretary of the Raiganj Merchants’ Association, commented: “Following the opening of the NH 34 bypass road, the unused section of old NH 34 could serve as an alternative route in Raiganj town, effectively mitigating traffic congestion. We urge the authorities of Raiganj Municipality to seriously consider this proposal.”
Sandip Biswas, chairperson of the Board of Administrators of Raiganj Municipality, stated: “We held a survey on the approximately 6 km unused section of NH 34 from Kulick Bridge to Kasba More within our municipality. Our findings indicate that by utilising this road could indeed reduce traffic congestion in the town. We plan to meet with our District Magistrate soon to discuss this matter further.”