The view from top of the brand new flyover is spectacular
Call it a Christmas gift or Durga Puja, Kolkata is getting a big one on Friday - an almost 8 kilometre long flyover network that should ease the traffic nightmare to a great extent, in at least some parts of the city. It's the city's longest flyover that took full five years to build.
The view from top of the brand new flyover is spectacular. The main 4-lane elevated corridor connects Park Circus to Spring Club on the EM Bypass. That's 4.2 kilometre. One arm leads from Park Circus Ruby. In all, 7.7 kilometre.
The new flyover will cut travel time by at least 30 minutes. A commuter, Vishal said, "It is great. From today, I can get home from work early."
Taxi driver Amlesh grinned. "I am happy. It will cut down my fares that run up while waiting at traffic jams but it is good for my nerves," he said.
But there are sceptics. Raina, stuck in traffic at Beckbagan, said, "I have been stuck here for a whole hour. I just hope the new flyover makes a difference. It is not making a difference right now." Rohit, who drives his own car, added, "What will one flyover do to Kolkata. We need many more."
For builders HCC, it's been five years uphill task- working on a busy road, handling Victorian era underground pipes and slow land allotment. The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority, which contracted HCC, almost cancelled its contract once. Calcutta High Court had to step in.
Dilbagh Singh, HCC construction head, is a relieved man. "I am very happy. It was a challenging project for us and our clients. Ultimately we succeeded. People will get relief and lakhs will use it every day. Today's pain, tomorrow's gain," he said.
The pinch to the pocket? Rs 457 crores, 130 crore rupees more than the original budget of Rs .318. In February 2010, when construction began, the deadline was August 2012. Then, a 20 month work stoppage. High price, high time, high hopes. Finally it's here.