The Times of India             13.02.2014

New Town to get three subways, an overbridge

KOLKATA: Rajarhat New Town's smooth roads over which vehicles zip by have always been a challenge for pedestrians to cross, often leading to accidents. But there's a solution in sight now. A number of pedestrian subways are being constructed by the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) under the arterial road of Bengal's showcase township.

NKDA and Hidco chairman Debashis Sen said one subway has already been commissioned at Akhankha More close to Chinar Park and another at DLF More is under way. A third has been planned in front of Eco Park.

"The subway at DLF More is expected to be completed by Durga Puja," Sen said. This subway, commissioned last year, has a number of exit and entry points.

The one at DLF More in Action Area I will provide relief to thousands of employees of IT sector offices and residents of apartment blocks that have come up around that spot. With a sharp increase in vehicular traffic on this road that leads to Salt Lake Sector V, the subway has been a longstanding demand of locals.

Official projections say that traffic on this road is set for an exponential rise as more residential and commercial complexes come up.

That's why the NKDA has planned another 60-metre-long subway to connect Eco Park's gate No. 2 to the bus stand in front of Finance Centre on the other side. The advanced tunnel boring system being used for Metro will be used for building this subway.

Apart from these subways, NKDA will construct a canal overbridge in Action Area III to replace the existing steel Bailey bridge. It will help vehicles enter Action Area III where several major residential and commercial projects are coming up. Soil testing for the project has started.