Urban development minister Firhad Hakim on Tuesday inaugurated an overbridge near Biswa Bangla Convention Centre that will connect Bagjola Canal Bank Road with the Fintech Hub, IT Hub and Education Hub of New Town. “This overbridge will connect several areas in New Town with VIP Road and Baguiati. It will also ease traffic in Sector V,” said Hakim.
Construction had started in 2005 and the overbridge was supposed to be ready by August 2017 but work got stalled in between. Hidco resumed work on the 580m long overbridge in May 2017. “We had earlier thought of elevating the east-west canal bank road instead of elevating the 10-lane Major Arterial Road. However, since Metro Railway lines were also aligned along the MAR it posed a problem. That is why it was delayed. Our expert panel then decided to use steel structures rather than concrete for the central portion of the flyover after which construction resumed without stalling traffic,” said Sen.
Connecting Action Area III
Hakim also inaugurated a bus terminus in Action Area III in New Town. This terminus lies beyond TCS building at the Shapoorji Pallonji bus stop. Earlier the buses travelling to Shapoorji stayed parked on the roads beyond the TCS building.
The bus terminus has been constructed on 2.35 acres with provision for 50 buses to be parked.
There is a sitting area, pantry and administrative block containing starter room, first-aid room and washrooms. There is also a separate charging station for vehicles running on electricity. Food kiosks will be built later.
The minister promised new bus routes from Shapoorji to the rest of the city. “Buses will also be added to existing routes,” he said.
This area has three housing complexes — Sukhobrishti, Elita Garden Vista and DLF New Town Heights. The total estimated population in the complexes alone is 1 lakh.
“Already buses on 10 routes like 239, DN 2/1, KB 16 and KB 22 are plying from here to Sealdah, Howrah, Garia and elsewhere,” said Swamin Raja, who owns a fleet of 10 buses plying in the area. “More buses are needed since population is rapidly increasing in this part of the township,” he added.
