Kolkata, July 26 -- One lane of Bally Bridge carrying traffic towards Delhi Road and Bombay Road will be closed from Monday, July 27, for emergency repairs, with all public and private buses from Dunlop heading towards the two corridors to be diverted via Nivedita Setu.

The diversion plan was finalised at a meeting attended by officials of the Howrah district administration, Traffic Police, Motor Vehicles Department, Public Works Department (PWD) and the West Bengal Bus & Minibus Owners' Association.

According to official communication from the Howrah district administration to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the PWD has begun emergency repairs to the deck slab of the southern viaduct on the western approach to Bally Bridge after its condition was found to be alarming and a threat to public safety. The repair work also requires the installation of a height barrier near the Route 54 bus stand on the bridge.

The Howrah District Magistrate has written to the NHAI seeking permission to temporarily allow local route buses to ply on Nivedita Setu until the repair work is completed. The administration has also requested a 45-day toll waiver for local buses using the route, saying the services cater to daily commuters and that the diversion would otherwise impose an additional financial burden on operators.

The letter also sought NHAI's permission to remove or modify a small portion of the highway boundary wall near Bali Halt to enable commuters to safely use the stairs for boarding and alighting from buses on the highway during the diversion period.

The requests follow a representation submitted by the West Bengal Bus & Minibus Owners' Association to the district administration, seeking toll-free access to Nivedita Setu for local buses. The association said around 30 local bus routes involving 800 to 1,000 buses would be affected by the closure. It also urged the administration to install proper street lighting on the pedestrian stairs near Bali Halt to ensure the safe movement of commuters during the repair period.

The District Magistrate requested the NHAI to consider the proposals urgently so that the height barrier could be installed and the traffic diversion implemented from July 27.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.