Strand Road North, which was a convenient thoroughfare for vehicles heading for Nimtala or Sovabazar from Posta and Burrabazar in northwest Kolkata, has been reopened to traffic despite some repair work remaining incomplete.
Shut to traffic since mid-June, the road was thrown open earlier this week to facilitate movement of buses, minibuses and other vehicles heading north from the Howrah bridge.
Police said the reopening of the road would help reduce the chaos resulting from the closure of a section of Vivekananda Road to facilitate the demolition of the Vivekananda Road flyover.
“Buses, minibuses and smaller vehicles can move down Strand Road North towards Nimtala Ghat Street or BK Pal Avenue on their way to Sovabazar, skirting the mess of central Kolkata,” said a senior officer of Kolkata police.
“That will take load off MG Road considerably allowing vehicles to move faster than before.”
So long these vehicles would move down the congested MG Road and add to the already heavy vehicular load on one of the key arteries of the city.
With Strand Road North having been reopened, vehicles headed for Sovabazar or Nimtala no longer have to take a circuitous route.
“The top layer of Strand Road North is yet to be covered with a fresh coat of bitumen. The potholes have been filled and patches of compressed road surface have been restored,” said a senior officer of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s road department.
“With traffic moving, the load will help in further compaction of the materials that have been used for repairs.”
The police said the reopening of the road was badly needed because a large stretch of Vivekananda Road was shut to facilitate the second phase of the demolition of the Vivekananda Road flyover.
The vehicles diverted because of the road closure were struggling to move through some of the thoroughfares, especially during evening rush hours.
The stretch of Vivekananda Road between Girish Park and Ganesh Talkies has been shut for the demolition since August 26. Rush-hour traffic has since been moving slowly through parts of Rabindra Sarani, KK Tagore Street and Beadon Street.
The police admitted that several roads, including Maharshi Debendra Road and Jadulal Mullick Road, were not wide enough to accommodate the extra traffic.
“Areas around MG Road have started attracting Puja shoppers. The pressure of pedestrians will only increase in the run-up to the Puja. If Strand Road North were not reopened, it would have been impossible to manage the traffic,” the police officer said.
