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The Calcutta High Court has asked the West Bengal government to finalise dates for traffic diversions by January 6 so that the metro bridge construction work at Chingrighata crossing can be completed by February 15, 2026. The court stated that while festivals and traffic problems will continue, work dates must
still be fixed so that people can start using the metro as early as possible, and extra project costs can be avoided.
Increase in Traffic Congestion
The court observed that there is no festival-free period, and traffic congestion will increase in the future. Therefore, delaying construction due to festivals or traffic concerns will not help. The judges stated that fixing early dates for building metro piers is in the public interest, as it will help commuters and prevent a further rise in project costs. Ignoring these factors, the court said, would be an unreasonable decision.
The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Ajay Kumar Gupta noted that they usually do not pass such directions. However, since an earlier promise made on September 4 to resolve the issue between departments did not lead to any solution, the court stepped in. It directed the state to select two consecutive weekend nights for traffic blockades so that Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) can complete the pier construction before February 15. The state must inform Metro Rail and RVNL of these dates by January 6, 2026.
The advocate general told the court that the police were not allowing traffic blocks at Chingrighata before January 20 due to the heavy movement of vehicles carrying Gangasagar pilgrims. Despite this, the court refused to stay its order.
Kolkata Metro's Orange Line
RVNL, which is building the 32-km Orange Line, needs to place two concrete girders over three piers at the busy Bypass crossing. This work is necessary to complete the final 366-metre viaduct that will connect the New Garia-Airport corridor with Salt Lake Sector V. The court also rejected the claim that the public interest petition was not valid, saying the project involves large public funds and delays only increase the burden on the state.
