The Belgharia railway overbridge, which connects parts of Dunlop, Kamarhati, and its adjoining areas with Nimta and Birati on the city’s northern fringes, will remain closed from Saturday for repair and maintenance work.
The project to enhance the stability of the bridge will involve engineers from both the railways and the public works department (PWD).
Vehicular movement will remain shut for the next few months. Barrackpore Police Commissionerate has created a diversion plan for vehicles travelling towards BT Road from Birati and Nimta, as well as for those travelling east of Belgharia station from BT Road.
“The diversion will pose challenges, but we would plead with the residents to bear the difficulties for a few months. The rail overbridge was crying for repairs, and this work had to be taken up,” said Gopal Saha, chairman of Kamarhati Municipality.
“The closure will come into effect from Saturday and will continue for a few months,” he said.
Senior engineers in the PWD stated that at least a dozen girders of the overbridge, including seven on one side and five on the other, will be replaced, and the work is likely to continue for a few months.
“A health audit of the bridge in 2025 revealed that the structure needed immediate repairs to arrest further wear and tear due to movement of heavy goods vehicles,” a senior PWD official said.
“The findings of the report were shared with the railway, and it was agreed upon that the work will be taken up after Durga Puja,” he said.
A fortnight ago, multiple inspections of the bridge and its approach roads were conducted with representatives from various agencies, including the police, PWD, railway, and Kamarhati Municipality, and a final plan was drawn up.
A blueprint of the vehicular diversion plan was developed, and a trial run was conducted to understand the challenges of traffic management.
According to the final diversion plan, vehicles headed towards Nimta from BT Road will be diverted towards Nilgunge Road from Rathtala More and made to travel towards Texmaco and further up to Number 4 rail gate. After crossing the rail gate, the vehicles will move down MB Road and Culture More towards Nimta and Kalyani Expressway.
Vehicles headed to BT Road from MB Road in Birati must travel to Culture More and take a right turn onto Old Nimta Road and reach the Number 2 railway gate.
From here, the vehicles will be made to move down Nilgunge Road to reach BT Road,” a senior officer of the Barrackpore police commissionerate said.
Senior PWD officials stated that the Belgharia railway bridge remains a vital link for those travelling to Birati and Nimta from Belgharia and is used by several hundred vehicles every day.
“A team of senior officers will remain deployed at vital intersections during the first week of the diversion,” a senior police officer said.