The state public works department (PWD) has begun a preliminary survey to determine how the width of Basanti Highway can be increased to make space for a median divider.

The nearly 100km road is part of State Highway 3, connecting Science City to Godkhali, a gateway to the Sundarbans in South 24-Parganas. It is one of the most accident-prone roads near Calcutta.

On Thursday night, an assistant sub-inspector of Kolkata Police died on Basanti Highway after a truck hit him.

Sahabuddin Biswas was returning to the city after work on a two-wheeler when his vehicle was hit near Bairaumpur.

Biswas, who worked at the office of the deputy commissioner of police, Bhangar division, died on the spot.

“Basanti Highway is a two-lane road, which makes it prone to accidents, given the rising vehicle count over the years. A median divider can help manage the road better. For that, the road has to be widened,” a senior PWD engineer said.

“We have started a preliminary survey of how the existing width of the road can be increased. The road width keeps varying at different stretches. The survey is aimed at finding out the existing widths at different points and how much widening is required.”

On Wednesday, Bholanath Ghosh, a key witness in the alleged assault on ED officers in Sandeshkhali in 2024, was injured when a truck collided with his car on Basanti
Highway.

Bholanath’s 32-year-old son, Satyajit, and the driver of his car, Sahanur Molla, 27, were killed in the crash.

On the two-lane Basanti Highway, switching flanks dangerously is the norm for many vehicles.

Senior PWD engineers overseeing the survey said the average width of the highway was around 9 metre. To build a median, the road width needs to be extended by at least another five metres.

“We have put in place road markings, signage, crash barriers and other items, including speed cameras and better lights, to reduce traffic accidents. Even table-top humps have been built to encourage motorists to slow down before key intersections on this
highway,” the PWD engineer said.

“But a two-lane road is not equipped to handle the kind of traffic load that Basanti Highway now takes. It needs widening.”

Senior officers of Kolkata Police said that at two points on Basanti Highway — Bantalabazar and Arupota — the road takes an “S” shape, making it challenging for motorists to spot a vehicle from the opposite end.

“We have asked the PWD to make the necessary corrections by building culverts so motorists can spot a vehicle on the opposite side around a turn,” a senior police officer overseeing traffic on Basanti Highway said.

With the highway witnessing heavy traffic, Kolkata Police set up a traffic guard at Bhangar under the newly formed Bhangar division in September last year.

“Once a median divider is built, Basanti Highway will be better managed,” a senior police officer of the Bhangar division said.