Major bridges in city to remain shut, authority to run health tests

Kolkata: The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) and Kolkata Police jointly decided to close Chetla RCC bridge, Karonamyee Bridge and Bijon Setu for a time period to run a health examination.

Bijon Setu, which connects Garihat Road and Eastern Metropolitan bypass will remain closed from May 14 to 17, Chetla RCC bridge will be closed from May 14 to 18 and the Karonamyee Bridge in south Kolkata will remain close from May 11 to 14.

A senior official of KMDA said that during this period the load-bearing capacity of the bridge will be tested. The number of vehicles using the bridge has gone up three times over the years and so it is high time to test the load-bearing capacity of the bridge.

As the traffic movement along the bridge is minimum due to the lockdown, KMDA wanted to utilise this opportunity and go ahead with the test. The Kolkata Police has prepared a plan of traffic diversion. Eastern Metropolitan bypass bound vehicles from Gariahat Road will go to Jadavpur police station via Gol Park and Dhakuria and then take a left turn to reach EM bypass via Prince Anwar Shah Road connector. Similarly, vehicles from Ruby intersection will proceed further south to catch Prince Anwar Shah connector to reach Jadavpur police station. The vehicles will then take a right turn to reach Gariahat Road via Dhakuria and Gol Park. As the traffic flow is minimal, the traffic diversion will not be difficult which under normal circumstances would have been a real problem.