The state government has started work on a flyover at the Dunlop crossing to allow vehicles from Dakshineswar and the other side of the Hooghly smoother access to BT Road.

The 640m flyover is scheduled to be ready by 2011. The cost of the project has been estimated at Rs 37.56 crore.

The state public works department (PWD) has awarded the contract to Simplex Projects Limited, which built the parking plazas on Rawdon Street and Lindsay Street.

“The flyover will have two lanes open to one-way traffic. Only vehicles moving towards Calcutta along PWD Road will be allowed on it. Vehicles leaving Calcutta will have to use the road,” said PWD minister Kshiti Goswami.

PWD Road is a vital link between the city and the districts. Vehicles from other states also take the route to the city.

Calcutta-bound traffic on the stretch is often stuck for several minutes at the Dunlop crossing.

Portions of PWD Road are now being barricaded for the flyover project. “The construction will start in February. If all goes well, the flyover will be opened by January 2011,” said the chairman and managing director of Simplex Projects, B.K. Mundra.

According to the site engineer of the project, Sanjib Das, the flyover will ascend from Ashokgarh. It will take a right turn and descend near the first gate of the Indian Statistical Institute. The flyover will be about 8.5 metres wide.

Encroachments like cow sheds and shanties and heavy traffic, particularly lorries from north India, on PWD Road had forced the authorities to plan the flyover. Commissioning of Nivedita Setu and segregation of goods traffic have since decongested the road somewhat.

Some engineers in the PWD roads wing feel the interchange flyover is no longer necessary with goods traffic being diverted to the Belghoria Expressway. According to them, those who travel to the city from North 24-Parganas, Hooghly, Howrah and Burdwan would have benefited more from a flyover at the Shyambazar five-point crossing.

A vehicle has to wait about eight minutes at the Dunlop crossing for the traffic light to turn green, said an engineer. Reaching APC Road, RG Kar Road or Bhupen Bose Avenue takes much longer.

There are five signals between Tallah bridge and the Shyambazar crossing, hence a motorist takes about 20 minutes to cover the short stretch.