The portion of Bagha Jatin bridge that collapsed, leaving it closed to traffic. A Telegraph picture

Commuters from south Calcutta and areas further south are facing a tough time travelling north, as the Bagha Jatin flyover has been closed to traffic since September 11 for repairs.

“Earlier, I could reach my office in Karunamoyee, Salt Lake, in 45 minutes. Now, I have to spend at least an hour and a half,” said government employee Partha Sen, a resident of Garia.

Many others who commute north face the same ordeal every day. The situation is likely to continue for the next “three to four months”, till the flyover is opened again, said P.R. Baviskar, the chief executive officer of the Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), the custodian of the bridge.

The flyover was closed to heavy vehicles on August 19, after a part of it over the railway tracks caved in. Cars were, however, allowed to ply.

But the collapse of a flyover in Hyderabad on September 9 prompted the CMDA to close the bridge even to small vehicles. The commuters are now forced to take the road below the bridge to reach the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass.

“Almost every day, we have to wait for a long time at the level crossing. Which is natural, since the station is very busy and several trains bound for Diamond Harbour, Kakdwip, Canning and Baruipur passes through it,” added Sen.

Indrani Dutta, who also takes the road to her office in Salt Lake, said: “The traffic snarls are so long that sometimes sitting in the car becomes difficult. We don’t know when this ordeal will end.”

The bridge was built by the CMDA in 2001. The portion over the railway tracks was built by railway contractor Ircon. Baviskar said that Ircon is now studying reports on the bridge prepared by Jadavpur University and will start work after that.