A gap near the approach to a newly built steel bridge on the Science City-bound flank of EM Bypass near the Metropolitan crossing has to be adequately covered before the bridge is opened to vehicles, police have told the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL).

The 55-metre-long bridge, which is around three metres high and made of steel and concrete girders, has been installed and is awaiting inauguration.

The approach to the steel bridge on the eastern side of the Science City-bound flank has a gap, and a canal — Moila Khal — flows beneath it.

Senior officers of Kolkata Police have told the RVNL, the implementing agency for the New Garia-Airport Metro link, that the steel bridge can be thrown open only after the gap is plugged.

“Unless the gap is covered, two-wheelers heading towards the bridge can accidentally slip through it and fall on the canal,” a police officer said.

The bridge stands parallel to the concrete bridge over the canal.

Vehicles headed towards the Ruby crossing from Chingrighata have to slow down before moving on the concrete bridge because the road near the approach to the bridge is very narrow.

“The road width is so small that vehicles are forced to squeeze into three lanes from five lanes,” said Amitava Ghosh Dastidar, who drives to Sector V from Anandapur every day.

“Once the steel bridge is thrown open, a significant number of small vehicles can move down it. This will create more space on the existing concrete bridge and vehicles will move faster,” he said.

The steel bridge, once thrown open, will offer an alternative to some vehicles who want to avoid the concrete bridge and head straight over the canal to a road in
front of the Beleghata Metro station on the New Garia-Airport link (Orange Line). This road in front of the Metro railway station merges with EM Bypass.

Two years back, Kolkata Police had asked the RVNL to erect the steel bridge as a prerequisite to get a site near the Metropolitan crossing for constructing two pillars of the New Garia-Airport Metro link.

The police identified the particular spot — where the steel bridge stands — to address the slowdown of traffic because of a constricted road space.

The bridge was installed towards the end of last year but has yet to be inaugurated.

Senior officers said once opened, vehicles bound for the Parama flyover will move faster.

RVNL officials said the agency was making all efforts to ensure that the steel bridge is inaugurated at the earliest.

“We have so far met all the demands that the police have sought — from constructing the steel bridge, erecting it and making it ready for vehicular movement by laying the road with mastic asphalt,” a senior RVNL official said.

“Even this demand (covering the gap) will be met at the earliest.”