Vidyasagar Setu traffic to halt on Sunday for 8 hours

Kolkata: Traffic movement on Vidyasagar Setu will be halted for eight hours on Sunday to facilitate repair and rehabilitation. The Kolkata Traffic Police has issued a notification on Thursday, confirming that vehicular movement will be suspended from 6 am to 2 pm, necessitating traffic rerouting across the city.According to the official advisory, vehicles heading towards Vidyasagar Setu via AJC Bose Road, through Zirat Island, will be diverted via Turf View and Hastings Crossing. From there, motorists can proceed via St. Georges Gate Road and Strand Road to reach Howrah Bridge, or turn right from Hastings Crossing onto Khidderpore Road (KP Road). Traffic moving along KP Road from J&N Island will be rerouted from 11 Furlong Gate towards Hastings Crossing, continuing along St. Georges Gate Road and Strand Road toward Howrah Bridge.Vehicles originating from Khidderpore side will be directed to turn left at Hastings Crossing to reach Howrah Bridge through the same route. Vehicles trying to access the bridge ramp near Ghora Pass from KP Road will be redirected to take the Red Road.Vidyasagar Setu serves as a vital arterial link connecting Kolkata with Howrah, Santragachi, and the state administrative headquarters at Nabanna, handling thousands of vehicles daily. Now 27 years old, the 823-meter structure stands as the longest cable-stayed bridge in India.Experts from the Hooghly River Bridge Commissioners emphasize that its stay cables, holding-down cables, deck slabs, and expansion joints have reached the end of the design lifespan. To prevent structural deterioration, a dedicated engineering team is replacing all 150 stay cables. While cops have prioritized Sunday mornings to avoid weekdays, regular commuters continue to express concerns regarding weekend inconveniences, questioning why the critical maintenance cannot be executed entirely during nightime.