The Calcutta-bound flank of Vivekananda Setu — popularly known as Bally Bridge — will be closed for three months from July 1 for repairs. Most vehicles bound for the city will be diverted through Nivedita Setu, the new bridge beside Vivekananda Setu.

“The Calcutta-bound flank of the bridge will be closed to traffic from July 1 to September 30. The Howrah-bound flank will remain open,” said Sumit Kumar, deputy commissioner of traffic, Howrah commissionerate.

Buses, ambulances and school buses bound for Calcutta won’t have to pay the toll for plying down Nivedita Setu but trucks and cars will have to. Two-wheelers and three-wheelers will be allowed to use the Howrah-bound flank of Vivekananda Setu to travel towards the city. Temporary dividers have been set up on the Howrah-bound flank.
“In the initial few days there could be some chaos but things will soon settle down,” the deputy commissioner said. An officer of Bally police station said more cops and civic police volunteers would be deployed near Bally Halt station to ensure smooth diversion of vehicles.

“We will undertake extensive repair of the city-bound flank. About 10 expansion joints will be replaced or repaired. The railways will repair the steel plates under the rail-cum-road bridge,” a PWD engineer said.  The Howrah-bound flank, he said, does not need any repair at the moment.

Vivekananda Setu, which was unveiled in 1932, last saw repairs in 2007. Picture by Pradip Sanyal