Road repairs across Salt Lake and other parts of Bidhannagar are causing lane closures and increased traffic congestion during office hours, with the municipal corporation carrying out work on 193 roads at an estimated cost of Rs 63 crore ahead of Durga Puja.
According to information from Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation, 63 of the roads under the programme are located within Salt Lake. Work is being carried out using different methods, including bitumen resurfacing, mastic coating and the installation of concrete blocks.
Twenty-two main roads across Bidhannagar, including Salt Lake, are currently receiving concrete blocks. On several other roads, the existing asphalt is being removed before fresh bitumen is laid and a mastic coating is applied. Sections of roads have been closed to enable the repair work to proceed.
Traffic is being managed through the remaining lanes on multiple stretches. On the road from Tank 13 to Anindita Island, the right-hand lane is closed and vehicles are moving in both directions through the left-hand lane. A similar arrangement is in place on the road from Tank 9 Island near Karunamoyee crossing towards the Kestopur canal, where the left-hand lane is closed and two-way traffic is being handled through the right-hand lane.
The left-hand lane on the road from Tank 9 towards Bidyut Bhavan has also been closed, with vehicles using the right-hand lane in both directions. On the road towards Bidhannagar North police station, the lane in front of Udayachal is closed and traffic is being moved through the adjacent lane.
The lane closures have narrowed the available road space on routes used by commuters travelling through Salt Lake and adjoining parts of Bidhannagar. The reported congestion is particularly visible during office hours, when demand on the road network is higher. The current arrangements also require traffic to move in both directions through a single available lane on several stretches.
Rain has affected the pace of work at times, according to the report. However, repair activity is continuing during both the day and night for the remaining periods, as the civic body attempts to complete the programme before Durga Puja.
The Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation said the temporary road closures were creating difficulties for commuters but that work was progressing quickly and would be completed soon. The corporation’s repair programme covers a large network rather than a single road, making the sequencing of lane closures and traffic movement central to how residents experience the work.
No specific completion date for each affected road was provided in the report. The municipal corporation’s stated next step is to continue repairs across the identified roads and finish the work as soon as possible before the festive period.
