Skywalk to adorn Dakshineswar soon

KOLKATA: To ease traffic congestion in Dakshineswar, the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) has decided to build a skywalk in the area. The authorities will engage a consulting firm to conduct a feasibility study and prepare a detailed project report (DPR) on the proposed plan.
The skywalk will be set up along the Rani Rashmoni Road from the existing Dakshineswar railway station to the temple complex.
“We will engage a consulting firm to prepare the DPR for the proposed skywalk which will help decongest traffic in the area,” said KMDA chief executive officer Vivek Bharadwaj.
KMDA has already conducted a topographical survey of the area. A preliminary concept plan has also been prepared. The feasibility study will estimate the daily footfall on the proposed skywalk and outline the number of shops that will have to be relocated from the at-grade road to the proposed skywalk.
The plan, along with the flyover project that PWD has started executing at the Dunlop traffic crossing, will help decongest the entire stretch from BT Road to Dakshineswar. The Dakshineswar Kali temple complex attracts a large number of visitors throughout the year because of which vehicular traffic in the area has increased tremendously over the years. Special occasions witness a further increase in the number of pedestrians as well as vehicles in and around the temple complex.
The primary approach road to the temple complex is along Rani Rashmoni Road which starts from the Dakshineswar bus stand. Owing to the presence of a large number of shops, this important access road also witnesses traffic congestion. Besides, the existing Dakshineswar railway station acts as a bottleneck for traffic between the PWD Road on the one end and Vivekananda Setu, Rani Rashmoni Road and Ramkrishna Deb Road on the other, causing inconvenience to pedestrians, commuters and visitors alike.
The proposed project, hence, aims to separate vehicles from pedestrians and non-motorized vehicles like cycles, vans and rickshaws, thereby reducing congestion at the primary approach road to the temple complex.
Initially there were plans to construct an underpass for the PWD Road-bound traffic. Officials, however, felt that given the present condition of traffic, an underpass was not a viable option. A small underpass can be built below the existing eastern railway line. The consultant to be engaged in preparing the feasibility report of the project will look into all these issues.