The deplorable condition of Calcutta’s roads now finds a match in its flyovers. Many elevated stretches across the city feature worn, broken, and battered surfaces riddled with multiple small potholes, offering commuters a bumpy ride.

Among the worst affected are the AJC Bose Road flyover, the east-bound link connecting the AJC Bose Road flyover and Parama flyover, the No. 4 Bridge (Park Circus), and the Sealdah flyover.

Commuters reported that the surfaces were already poor before the monsoon, and the subsequent lack of pre-rain repairs has significantly worsened their state. Unlike ground-level roads, flyovers are not subject to common issues like waterlogging or frequent digging for underground utilities, yet their condition mirrors that of the city’s streets.

The deteriorated flyover surfaces cause vehicles to shake and swing, making rides uncomfortably bumpy and, at times, painful. “I can feel the tremors sitting inside the car,” shared a regular commuter between Salt Lake and central Calcutta.

A resident of Patuli noted that cars are forced to slow down on the link between the AJC Bose Road and Parama flyovers, leading to queues during peak hours. “I drive a hatchback. I have to hold the steering tightly, otherwise it may steer off the direction because of the bumpy surface,” he added.

Two-wheeler riders report feeling the jerks even more acutely than those in cars.

An officer of Kolkata Police’s traffic department said they had written to the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). “We wrote to the KMDA in June to repair the link between the AJC Bose Road and Parama flyovers, but that did not happen,” the officer said.

A KMDA official said on Saturday that patch repairs on the link will commence only after a few dry days are available. “At least two dry days will be required for the bed to dry. Work can start after that,” the official said.

The AJC Bose Road flyover — a 3km stretch — was worse than the link. Police sources indicated that repairs on the flyover are likely to begin on Monday.

Calls to Trinamool MP Partha Bhowmik, chairperson of the Hooghly River Bridge Commissioners (HRBC), the custodian of the AJC Bose Road flyover, went unanswered.

Stretches of the AJC Bose Road flyover also get waterlogged after rain, a phenomenon experts attribute to poor workmanship.

Partha Pratim Biswas, a professor of construction engineering at Jadavpur University, explained that the top bituminous layer should have specific gradients (latitudinal and longitudinal) to direct rainwater towards edges and drainage pipes. “There should not be any waterlogging if the gradients are maintained properly,” Biswas said.

The No. 4 Bridge in Park Circus also has multiple shallow potholes on its upward slope towards Science City. An official of the KMDA, the bridge’s custodian, said that repairs will start soon. “We will put paver blocks on the damaged stretch because it is breaking repeatedly,” said the official.