Traffic movement on Tallah Bridge will stop completely from midnight of 31 January as the bridge is set to be dismantled from 1 February. Kolkata Traffic Police and the transport department have come up with an alternative route plan to ease the pressure on roads and ensure smooth traffic circulation.
The plying of buses and heavy vehicles was restricted on the bridge in October last year following the inspection that revealed the poor health condition of the bridge. These new route plans will be in place until the reconstruction of the 800 metre-long bridge. According to the new plan, the north-bound buses and mini-buses coming along C. R. Avenue will move along Jatindra Mohan Avenue, Girish Avenue, K.V.V Avenue , Lock Gate Flyover before arriving on B.T. Road.
Buses coming along Bidhan Sarani and A.P.C Road, will be diverted from Shyambazar five point crossing to avail Bhupen Bose Avenue, Girish Avenue, K.V.V Avenue , Lock Gate Flyover and B.T. Road. Buses will also be diverted via Galiff Street to reach B.T. Road. Besides these three routes, the north-bound small vehicles including the autos can reach B.T. Road via Cossipore Road-Khagen Chatterjee Road and via R. G. Kar Road, Indra Biswas Road, Raja Manindra Road and Paikpara.
South-bound buses and mini-buses coming along B T Road, will be diverted from Chiriamore crossing via Dum Dum Road, Seven Tanks, Northern Avenue , Raja Manindra Road, Milk Colony, Belgachia Road and R. G. Kar Road to reach Shyambazar five point crossing. Buses and mini-buses coming along Dum Dum Road from Nagar Bazar or Dum Dum Station side, will be diverted from Seven Tanks crossing to avail Raja Manindra Road, Milk Colony, Belgachia Road, R G Kar Road to reach Shyambazar.
Small vehicles can to avail Khagen Chatterjee Road, Cossipore Road, K. V. V Avenue, Girish Avenue , J M Avenue or Bhupen Bose Avenue for C.R. Avenue or Shyambazar. They can also take left turn from Chiriamore or Paik Para to move towards Belgachia Bridge and R G Kar Road.
“As of now, the goods vehicles will continue to use 2nd Hooghly bridge. However, once the level crossing beside the Chitpore bridge is constructed, they will use that route. We have also asked the taxis and app-based cabs headed for Kolkata Railway Station to avail the route via Khanna crossing, Ultadanga crossing and Gaznavi bridge to arrive at the station,” said the DC (traffic), Mr Rupesh Kumar.