To reduce load on APC Road and allow commuters to reach Sealdah station in time, the government has decided to repair, widen and beautify the roads along the Circular and New Cut canals.

A decision on the Rs 30-crore project was taken last Thursday at a meeting attended by transport minister Subhas Chakraborty, urban development minister Asok Bhattacharya and Assembly subject committee chairman on transport Sadhan Pande.

It was decided that the CMDA and Hooghly River Bridge Commissioners (HRBC) will jointly implement the project. The CMDA will build the stretch from Maniktala Main Road to Beleghata, and the HRBC the stretch from Maniktala Main Road to Galiff Street.

The eight-km Canal East and West roads, along the Circular Canal, start from Galiff Street, near Shyambazar, and terminate at Beleghata. The four-km Canal South Road ends at VIP Road, near the Ultadanga bridge.

Minister Bhattacharya said the proposed roads would be used as the main corridor for passenger dispersal from the proposed Chitpur railway terminal. “Passengers from the northern and southern ends of the city, and also from Salt Lake and Rajarhat New Town, will be able to reach the new railway terminal by these roads. We have already started widening Canal East and Canal West roads,’’ he said.

CMDA’s director of project planning Tushar Mitra said the new roads could be parallel thoroughfares to APC Road.

“Commuters can reach Maniktala, Rajabazar, Sealdah and Beleghata bypassing the congested APC Road. Besides, from Beleghata, commuters can reach Salt Lake or take the Bypass through the newly-constructed Chowlpatty Road, skirting Beleghata Main Road. Hundreds of commuters will benefit and the vehicular load on APC Road will be reduced,’’ he added.

Chowlpatty Road, connecting Beleghata with the Bypass along the Beleghata canal, had cut the traffic load on Beleghata Main Road, Mitra pointed out.

According to transport department officials, nearly 50,000 vehicles ply during peak hours on APC Road on the stretch from Shyambazar to Moulali. Besides, the intersections at Maniktala, Rajabazar and Moulali have become chaotic zones.

“As APC Road is a major entry point to the city from the north, the vehicular load is gradually increasing. We discussed the issue with the subject committee and recommended that the roads along the canals be widened,” said chairman of the Assembly subject committee on transport Sadhan Pande.