Full Kalyani E-way run likely before puja
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"This Durga Puja, people of Bengal will receive a big gift in the form of a full-length, signal-free Kalyani Expressway," Bidhan Biswas, chairman of North Dum Dum Municipality, told TOI. According to officials of the public works department (PWD), the expressway— one of the state's largest projects in recent times being executed at Rs 2,500 crore — is nearing completion, with the work being scheduled to wrap up by Aug-end.
Once operational, the travel time between Kolkata and Kalyani AIIMS (approximately 43 km) is expected to drop to just 45 minutes from two-and-a-half hours at present.
"The expressway also serves as a crucial bypass, steering clear of congestion-prone areas, like Barasat. It offers quicker access to the airport from districts, such as Nadia, Howrah, Hooghly and Burdwan," the official said.
The Kalyani Expressway, featuring four to six lanes and toll booths, will now integrate with the 16-km Belgharia Expressway, a high-speed corridor connecting Dakshineswar with the airport.
The expressway's revamped infrastructure includes elevated corridors and six-lane underpasses at major intersections, eliminating traffic signals along the entire stretch from Belgharia to Baro Jagulia via Kampa More near Kanchrapara.
A senior engineer from PWD said a 3.8-km stretch between the Belgharia and Kalyani Expressway was already complete. Kalyani and Belgharia expressways meet at a point between Mathkal and Sukantapally in North Dum Dum, known locally as the "Zero Point".
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To avoid congestion at this junction, the state govt is constructing a 1.3-km elevated corridor above the Zero Point crossing, allowing uninterrupted flow of both Dakshineswar- and airport-bound traffic. The flyover is expected to descend near the Nimta crossing in North Dum Dum.
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