Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee?s government on Wednesday finalised the layout and design of the Kidderpore bridge, a project it has decided to revive after a six-year hiatus.

The proposed design and layout of the bridge was shown to state planning and development minister Nirupam Sen on Wednesday afternoon. The minister okayed it.

Transport secretary Sumantra Chowdhury, Hooghly River Bridge Commissioners vice-chairman S.R. Banerjee and chief traffic and transportation engineer B.K. Sadhu also discussed the project with Sen at Writers? Buildings.

?The site has been visited. Fresh tenders will be floated immediately. We plan to wrap up the project by December 2006,? said transport secretary Chowdhury.

On February 26, Metro had reported that the government had decided to revive the project. While the chief minister had cleared the project then, the sanction of funds by the finance department took two months.

The project was flagged off in 1997, but was abandoned in 2000. The government had then cited problems in alignment of bridge for giving up the project.

This time, an additional investment of Rs 30 crore has been sanctioned for the project. As per the revised plan, the flyover will be extended over Tolly?s Nullah (parallel to the existing Kidderpore bridge) up to Hastings.

?We had written to Delhi, seeking financial aid for carrying out the construction, as its alignment is along National Highway 117. Since we have not received any response, we decided to take up the project ourselves,? said a senior state government official.

According to transport department officials, the project will facilitate the movement of traffic in the southern part of the city, especially in Behala and along Diamond Harbour Road. The bridge will also ensure connectivity with the port, as well as between the city and South 24-Parganas.

The project is being touted as part of the government?s initiative to improve transport infrastructure in the city and its peripheral areas.

The new plan involves linking the half-constructed bridge to a flyover on Diamond Harbour Road, which will extend over Tolly?s Nullah, adjacent to the existing Kidderpore bridge, and terminate at Hastings.

The bridge will be 41.5 m long, including both sections ? along Diamond Harbour Road and over Tolly?s Nullah. It will be eight metres wide, consisting of two lanes.