Calcutta: Cricketer-turned-cricket administrator Sourav Ganguly was among those who were forced to take a detour to reach home on Tuesday after the Majerhat bridge collapsed. "I had crossed the bridge (en route to the Eden Gardens) around two hours before the collapse. I should thank my stars. What can I say? Accidents like these happen. You cannot do anything," Sourav, a resident of Behala, said.

Lakhs of people who live in Taratala, Behala, Thakurpukur, Joka and beyond were left wondering how to commute to and from the heart of the city till the link is restored.

Thousands of vehicles - buses, private cars, taxis and two-wheelers - plying on Diamond Harbour Road take the Majerhat bridge to reach the Maidan, Park Street, Esplanade, Howrah, Sealdah and other places.

Alipore, not far from Majerhat bridge, is dotted with several hospitals like CMRI, Woodlands, BM Birla Heart Research Centre and Kothari Medical Centre. The area also has several schools like St Thomas' Boys' School, Kidderpore, and St Teresa's Secondary School.

For people travelling to these places, the traffic diversions could spell more than just extra travel. "I ride my bike to work in Salt Lake from Behala every day. Taking the Majerhat bridge and then the AJC Bose Road flyover is part of my regular commute. During peak hours, my journey takes close to two hours. I dread to think what will happen now," said Arpit Majumder, who works for an e-commerce company.

There are two broad options to reach the heart of the city from the affected areas. One is to take Taratala Road, the Garden Reach flyover, and Karl Marx Sarani in Kidderpore to reach the Hastings crossing. But this will be a detour of more than twice the distance and time taken through the Majherhat bridge. The other option is going through James Long Sarani or New Alipore Road to reach Kalighat via Durgapur bridge and head towards Bhowanipore.

Tuesday night was the trailer for what lies ahead. Behala-bound traffic was stuck on Rashbehari Avenue for close to an hour.