Kolkata, 13 December (H.S.): Taratala flyover will be closed from Saturday, December 13th, to Tuesday, December 16th, for load testing of the bridge. This information was released in a notification issued by the Public Works Department and Kolkata Police.

According to the notification, the flyover will be closed from 3:30 PM on Saturday and will remain closed until 11:59 PM on Tuesday, December 16th. During this entire period, the Taratala flyover will be completely closed. Traffic police have advised motorists to avoid the Taratala crossing during this time.

The police have suggested alternative routes while the flyover is closed. Vehicles coming from Behala towards Alipore are advised to use the Karunamoyee flyover. Vehicles going from Alipore towards Behala are advised to use the Durgapur flyover, Hyde Road, and New Alipore. The police have appealed to commuters to use these alternative routes and cooperate.

Taratala flyover was constructed in 2006 to ease traffic congestion on Diamond Harbour Road. Its construction lasted for three years. In 2010, cracks first appeared in the 540-meter-long flyover. Following this, the Behala-bound section of the flyover was closed for safety reasons. In April 2022, cracks reappeared, leading to another closure of the bridge.

Now, load testing is being conducted to ensure the structural safety of the bridge. The flyover will be completely closed for four days for this test. Officials have stated that this test is necessary to check the strength and safety of the bridge. The traffic police have expressed regret for the inconvenience caused during this period and have appealed for cooperation from commuters.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey