Kolkata: The construction of a foot over bridge at Beleghata metro station that will provide easy access to passengers heading to and coming out of the station has begun and police sources said the structure could be ready before Orange Line services are extended to Sector V.Orange Line, now running till Beleghata, is likely be extended to Sector V by Christmas, said officials. Prem Sagar Gupta, the general manager of Metro Railway, had earlier told TOI that the services till Sector V will be operational by Dec 31, 2026.The bridge, a steel structure that will run above EM Bypass cutting across the road and connecting the two ends of the over bridge, is already ready and kept at the site, said a police officer. Two piers of the over bridge – one on the eastern side of EM Bypass where the metro station has been built and the other on the western side are ready. A pier in the middle of EM Bypass is now under construction. A portion of EM Bypass near the median has been cordoned off for the construction of the pier.“Passenger footfall at Beleghata station will see a sharp rise with the extension of services to Sector V. The station is now underutilised but will not remain so with extension of services. People must cross the Bypass at Metropolitan crossing or Mathpukur now to reach Beleghata station. Once the foot over bridge is ready they can access the station from the service road on the western side of Bypass,” said a traffic police.Many people working in Sector V are likely to start using Orange Line following the year-end extension. Sources said once the pier in the middle of EM Bypass is complete, the steel bridge will be launched above the pier. A concrete floor casting will be done following the launching of the steel structure. Central govt sources said the entire structure may take about a month since the construction of the pier in the middle of the flyover is ready.
