Kolkata: The Barasat flyover, which connects NH 12 with Jessore Road and Taki Road, was shut on Wednesday afternoon for urgent repairs and a structural health inspection. It will stay shut till Aug 13, raising concerns of severe traffic jams in Barasat town and adjoining areas.PWD officials said cracks on the flyover’s underside would be repaired and 14 damaged bearings would be replaced or refurbished. “Engineers from PWD and Barasat subdivision will assess the flyover and repair cracks detected on the underside of the structure, replacing or refurbishing 14 damaged bearings,” a senior PWD official said.“Though girders and bearings were repaired a few years ago, the flyover had not undergone a comprehensive structural health inspection for almost seven years. The PWD also failed to conduct regular inspections,” a local trader said.Buses were already disallowed on the flyover over the past two weeks and now, the plying of smaller vehicles was also stopped. “Now that a full-scale structural health inspection and repair programme has started, the flyover has been completely shut to traffic until Aug 13,” a senior Barasat traffic police officer said.
