Bypass metro gains more speed: RVNL joins dots

Kolkata: The Orange Line Metro project has gained more speed with RVNL successfully bridging two more pillars at Chingrighata. The agency is now all set to start construction of the foot overbridge (FOB) — also the most important access to Beleghata station at Metropolitan, around 500m from Chingrighata crossing.

Last Sunday, the New Garia-Airport corridor (Orange Line) crossed its most difficult hurdle and managed to bridge the 62m viaduct (on which tracks are laid) gap atop the busy Chingrighata crossing. This is part of the last 366m gap of the Orange Line’s Metropolitan-Sector V section, dotted by 12 pillars. Implementing agency Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) had been struggling to proceed with construction beyond the Science City crossing for the last six years.

Finally, after the new govt took over, it was granted a continuous day-night block for two weekends to fill the 62m gap between piers 317 and 319. Now the gap between piers 319 and 320, too, has been bridged from Jal Vayu Vihar to Nabapally. No traffic regulation was required since the concrete deck was launched over the passing canal.

Some traffic regulation, will, however, be enforced from Monday when 8m of the south-bound flank of Bypass at Metropolitan will be barricaded around the median for construction of the FOB’s middle support between north and south flanks. Thus, Garia-bound vehicles will have to steer left after using the new Bailey Bridge, proceed along the service road, cross Mathpukur and reenter Bypass. North-bound or traffic headed towards Ultadanga may not have to negotiate much because around 4m will be barricaded on this side of the road. Kolkata Police’s traffic department has granted NOC for 45 days so that RVNL can set up the FOB’s steel bases on either side and finally build the eastern access of the Beleghata metro station. The NOC has been withheld for the past four years even as quite a few traffic trials were conducted by the cops.

TOI reported on April 5, 2025 had reported that the metro station was ready but the FOB was missing. In fact, last Aug, PM Narendra Modi had to flag off Orange Line’s 4.5km extension from Ruby to Metropolitan without this crucial access. Two years ago, considering the “endless” delays in getting permissions to build the access, the CRS issued the mandatory safety nod for operations, pointing at the urgent need to build the FOB.