The West Bengal government has taken up projects worth over Rs. 800 crore with the objective of expanding the road space in the metropolis while also augmenting pedestrian facilities to enhance road safety. The city has one of the lowest road space availability ratios in the country.
State Urban Development Minister Ashok Bhattacharyya told journalists at the secretariat that once completed, the projects would speed up vehicular traffic movement while enhancing pedestrian facilities.
The projects involve construction of flyovers over a 21-km-long span and includes a bus rapid transit system over a 15-km stretch. Elevated corridors would also be built as would be pedestrian pathways through some of the busiest traffic junctions. Most of the projects are on the city's Eastern Metropolitan Bypass along which a new township is developing.
In at least two of the projects, the Centre was also pumping in funds to construct the facilities which were targetted to be completed by 2012. The Minister said that these projects would provide a way out of the problem created due to problems over land acquisition for laying new roads.
