June 18: Traffic on VIP Road leading to the airport might go haywire when the PWD builds two subways near the Sreebhumi and Golaghata bus stops.
The subways at a depth of 6m from the ground will be 6m wide, a PWD official said. Work will start within the next few day, he said.
Engineers will use the sheet pile method to lay the foundation of the subways before going on with the excavation, the official said.
A prefabricated reinforced concrete (RCC) structure will then be driven into the soil with the help of specialised high-capacity hydraulic jacks to build the subways.
This will ensure the main flanks of VIP Road, an arterial connector to the airport, remains closed for the least number of days.
Initially, a stretch of the service lane that runs parallel to VIP Road will be shut to traffic during the excavation and laying of the foundation, the official said.
"The entire process is likely to take three to four months," he said. "But we will ensure the subways are built on time as the Puja is fast approaching."
A number of pandals off VIP Road, including the ones of Sreebhumi Sporting Club and Dum Dum Park, record huge footfall during the festive season.
The subway floor will be tiled and LED bulbs used for lighting.
The service lane will thrown open to traffic once the foundation is laid, the PWD official said.
"But a stretch of VIP Road beneath which the subways will pass might be shut for a few days.
"Both traffic flow and speed are high on VIP Road. We might have to close a stretch to ensure our team can work faster," he said.
In that case, vehicles headed to and from the airport will be diverted along the service lane to cross the shut stretch of VIP Road.
Bidhannagar MLA Sujit Bose said people of the area had been demanding subways at the Sreebhumi and Golaghata crossings for a long time.
"There have been multiple accidents at these places because people cross the busy road risking life and limb," Bose said.
"Once the subways are complete, the area will be safer for motorists as well as pedestrians."
Last August, VIP Road had seen huge traffic snarls as a 150m stretch was shut down for the construction of a subway near the Bangur crossing.
