KOLKATA: The state government has started widening of Jessore Road and VIP Road and break a portion of the airport perimeter wall at Gate No. 2.5 to churn out a thoroughfare and decongest traffic snarls on the roads surrounding the airport.On March 14, TOI had reported that the state PWD had sought for a no-objection certificate from the airport to allow them break the wall to allow traffic to and from the Airport Road and Jessore Road. Work has started in full swing after a go-ahead from the airport authorities.“The airport authorities have granted us the permission to break the wall and we have signed an agreement with them. Work on widening of the road to carve out an extra lane is already under way and we have also begun the tendering process to demolish the wall,” said a senior official of state PWD.The official explained that once the tender process is complete in the next couple of days, the demolition will begin by the end of this week. “We will try our best to finish the work before Durga Puja. Since the rain has receded a bit over the last few days, we have already started the roadwidening process,” said the official.Currently, the Gate No. 2.5 is one of the most congested crossings around the airport. Once the wall is broken and the opening becomes wider, cops can allow a “free-left” for all VIP Road- and airport-bound traffic from Jessore Road using Airport Road at the same time when traffic from Airport Road takes a left or right turn at the crossing to take Jessore Road.“Since we have a narrow opening now, cars can move only in one direction at a time. Once the opening is wider, we can ensure both-way traffic movement at ease,” said a senior officer of Airport traffic guard A senior official of the Bidhannagar Commissionerate said that since the demolition of wall will take some time, they had already allowed the PWD to start work on the road widening. “We have cordoned off a portion of the road between Gate No. 2.5 and Gate no. 1 as well as a portion of VIP Road opposite the entrance to the airport. We have also completed a new cut at the Haldirams crossing for easier movement of vehicles,” said a senior officer of Bidhannagar Commissionerate’s traffic department.Work has also started on expanding the existing Jessore Road by breaking portions of the pavement and shifting it deep inside the existing area between the pavement and the roadside shops and buildings on the Birati and Nagerbazar-bound flanks.“Currently, when vehicles leave the airport premises and take Jessore Road at Gate No. 2.5 as well as at Gate No. 1, it creates a traffic mess, forcing Dum Dum and Birati-bound vehicles remain stuck in traffic signals for anything between two and five minutes during morning and evening peak hours. Jessore Road-bound vehicles also get stuck on VIP Road and Airport Road. This new arrangement is likely to bring down the waiting time and solve the traffic mess,” said Avijit Kadyan, the deputy commissioner (traffic) of Bidhannagar City Police.

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