Red Road will be closed to traffic, either completely or partially, for a week until Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends a programme on the arterial road to mark International Yoga Day on June 21.
Police officers said the road would remain shut until Sunday, and traffic would be allowed on it “as and when required”.
Senior officers said this would be the longest shutdown of Red Road.
“It has been decided that no vehicular movement on either flank of Red Road will be allowed till June 21. However, one flank may be kept open depending on traffic volume,” a senior officer said. “Ground officers will take decisions as required.”
On Monday, the flank of Red Road heading towards Raj Bhavan was shut, with a giant dais being erected in the middle of the road. Vehicles were being allowed through the other flank, but towards Raj Bhavan.
Red Road has rarely been closed to traffic for such a long duration. Between May 23 and 29, 2016, it was closed for five days to prepare for former chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s second oath-taking ceremony.
It has also been closed for Republic Day and Independence Day parades and Mamata’s Durga Puja carnival, but those restrictions lasted only a few hours or a day.
The state BJP government had earlier stressed the importance of keeping traffic on Red Road moving, disallowing Eid prayers there in May and shifting them to the Brigade Parade Grounds. Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari had said then that no religion was above the law.
Red Road is one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares due to the large volume of vehicles converging from multiple routes.
“A significant number of vehicles from the AJC Bose Road flyover, DL Khan Road, Vidyasagar Setu and Hastings enter the Raj Bhavan-bound flank of Red Road,” a senior officer said.
A diversion plan has been drawn up, but commuters are likely to face difficulties over the next week.
Under the plan, vehicles heading towards Raj Bhavan via Red Road will be diverted from JN Island either towards the Outram Road-Jawaharlal Nehru Road intersection or the Dufferin Road-Mayo Road crossing.
Buses bound for Dalhousie and Howrah coming via Zeerat Bridge in Alipore will be diverted from the Belvedere Road and AJC Bose Road intersection towards AJC Bose Road, Turf View Road, AJC Bose ramp and St George’s Gate Road-Strand Road for onward movement towards Howrah and Dalhousie.
Vehicles headed towards JK Island along Red Road will be diverted from the Red Road-Mayo Road crossing via Mayo Road-Dufferin Road.