The Prince Anwar Shah Road connector to the Bypass being readied. A Telegraph picture

The much-awaited Prince Anwar Shah Road connector to the EM Bypass, which has missed deadlines thrice, is likely to be thrown open to the public on March 1.

“The connector was one of our key projects and we are happy to announce that it’s ready. If nothing unusual crops up, the fast track will be commissioned on March 1,” said P.R. Baviskar, chief executive officer of the Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA).

The two-lane road will be a shorter alternative to the Rashbehari connector for motorists approaching the Bypass from the southern part of the city. Officials of the CMDA claim it will take less than six minutes to reach the Bypass from the crossing of Prince Anwar Shah Road and Raja SC Mullick Road.

The connector, 15 metres wide and 3.5 km long, has been laid at a cost of around Rs 30 crore. Insiders claimed the delays — the last deadline missed was Diwali — had pushed up the project cost manifold.

“There were problems at every step,” recalled a senior official of the CMDA. “A major stumbling block was the demand of some local youths that they be given the contract to supply building material.”

The delays prompted urban development minister Asok Bhattacharya to visit the site a month-and-a-half ago and sort out the problems. The minister had issued a “stern warning”, that the road should be opened by March.

Once the connector is unveiled, the authorities will start work on increasing the number of lanes to four.

“A Rs 20-crore expansion scheme has been submitted and we will start work after taking a close look at the traffic flow on the stretch,” said Debdas Bhattacharya, chief engineer of the traffic and transportation department.