Road repairs have moved into the inner lanes and bylanes of Salt Lake’s residential blocks, with the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation resurfacing damaged stretches using mastic and bitumen asphalt and, in selected locations, interlocking concrete paver blocks.
Work has begun inside AE Block, with some repairs being carried out at night to avoid traffic disruption. Residents said several internal roads had gone years without a complete resurfacing, leaving them heavily damaged and dependent on limited patchwork.
“There had been some lanes inside the block which had not seen a fresh layer of bitumen in the last 10 years and had become terribly damaged. Only limited patchwork in a few of the lanes had been done over the years, that, too, in a hurried manner before puja,” a resident of AE Block said.
Civic officials said damaged roads and stretches that had not been repaired for a long time had been identified for thorough restoration. The planned treatment involves removing damaged bituminous layers and relaying roads with mastic along with bitumen asphalt, according to an official quoted in the report.
The corporation is also giving emphasis to interlocking concrete paver blocks on some roads connecting Salt Lake’s blocks. Repairs have been carried out on the stretch from Anindita bus stop to Tank 13 Island and on the road in front of Bidhannagar North Police Station.
Officials said paver blocks were being used because they can withstand monsoon damage better and can be lifted and reinstalled more easily when utility work is required. “Unlike a bituminous surface, a concrete paver block surface lasts several years and does not get damaged due to rain,” an official said.
The choice of surface has direct implications for neighbourhood roads that are repeatedly opened for utility work or damaged during the monsoon. While asphalt resurfacing is being used for several stretches, the use of pavers provides a different maintenance option for roads where access to underground services can require sections to be removed and restored.
The repair programme comes as residents of Salt Lake’s internal blocks have been seeking attention for roads that received only intermittent patchwork. The current work extends the civic response beyond major thoroughfares to the smaller streets used daily by residents, pedestrians and local service traffic.
Road restoration is also planned in neighbouring New Town. The state has approved funding of more than Rs 5 crore for the New Town Kolkata Development Authority to undertake thorough repair and restoration of several roads across Action Areas I and II.
The Salt Lake work is being carried out by the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation, while the New Town restoration programme will be implemented by the New Town Kolkata Development Authority. The report did not specify a completion deadline for either programme.
