The work to bridge the gap on the upcoming New Garia–Airport Metro corridor (Orange Line) at the Chingrighata crossing will be carried out in two phases — from May 15 to 17 and again between May 22 and 24, police said on Tuesday.

The city police have formally informed senior officials of Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), the agency executing the Metro project, about the dates, said the police.

“The work will be carried out between midnight and 5am. The first phase will cover the gap on the flank of EM Bypass that is used by Ultadanga-bound vehicles,” a city police officer said.

“The second phase will involve bridging the gap on the flank meant for Garia and Science City-bound vehicles. The mobilisation of men and machinery will start at 11pm. The entire work will be completed by May 24,” he said.

Both phases have been scheduled over Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays — when traffic on the Bypass is relatively lighter — and will coincide with the onset of summer vacation in several schools.

“The police force will remain stretched till May 4, when the election results will be declared. The city will stay under heightened alert for the next few days. By May 15, we will be ready to manage any traffic diversions required,” an officer said.

The RVNL has been seeking a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for night traffic blocks at the Chingrighata crossing since September 2024 to launch concrete blocks across piers 317, 318, and 319 to fill a 366-metre gap.

In March, the Supreme Court castigated Bengal’s “obstinate” stalling of Metro work at Chingrighata as a “dereliction of constitutional duties” and an attempt to politicise a project that would benefit people.

The court rejected the state’s plea that clearing the project now would violate the Model Code of Conduct. A police clearance for the pending work now could result in traffic disruptions at one of the city’s busiest intersections, the state, which votes on April 23 and 29, argued.

“This is a complete dereliction of constitutional duties. You are running away from your responsibilities,” the bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi told the state counsel.

“We would not appreciate the state government politicising a development issue which is for the benefit of the common man,” the court said.

Calcutta High Court, while hearing a PIL to expedite metro work, had on December 23 set a February 15, 2026, deadline for the lifting of the concrete blocks, directing the police to issue the clearance in time to make this possible.

“We have held multiple traffic trials to understand how the traffic is likely to play out at night when the work will be done,” an officer overseeing traffic management in Calcutta said.

“The adjoining traffic guards have been informed about the dates so that they remain prepared to handle any congestion,” he said.

RVNL officials said they have been waiting for this NOC from the police for over a year and hoped to finish the work on time.

“We will talk to our engineering team and finalise the blueprint for the task. The job remains crucial for the project,” an RVNL official said.