Kolkata: The deplorable condition of Kolkata’s road infrastructure has increasingly extended onto the city’s major flyovers, forcing Kolkata Traffic police to issue urgent appeals for civic intervention. The vital Sealdah flyover has emerged as a prime example.In response to the deteriorating conditions, the Kolkata Traffic Police has now formally written to the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), demanding immediate emergency repair work on the Sealdah flyover’s road surface.The letter—drafted by the Sealdah Traffic Guard and routed through the Kolkata Police deputy commissioner of police (Traffic) office—highlights severe structural wear, noting that exposed concrete is now visible at multiple critical points along the elevated corridor.Traffic cops reported that extreme undulations and deep potholes have engulfed almost the entire road surface atop the flyover. The damage is particularly severe along the stretches leading toward College Street, creating major hazards for motorists navigating the dense central transit hub.Cops confirmed that the degraded surface has directly crippled traffic flow, reducing the average vehicular speed across the flyover by at least 4 km/h during peak hours. “The KMDA did try to carry out temporary repair work in bits and pieces recently, but the entire patch-work has completely worn off due to continuous heavy rains,” a senior traffic officer noted.Daily commuters and motorists traversing the central corridor expressed intense frustration over the lack of durable maintenance, describing the transit across the flyover as both hazardous and physically exhausting.“The ride over Sealdah flyover has become an absolute nightmare during office hours,” said Swati Banerjee, a regular commuter travelling daily between Salt Lake and central Kolkata. “The vehicle shakes and sways continuously over the uneven patches. I can literally feel the heavy tremors sitting inside my car, and for two-wheeler riders, these hidden potholes under rainwater are a major safety threat.”Taxi drivers and commercial operators also voiced serious concerns regarding vehicle damage and severe delays. “You cannot maintain even basic speed because hitting those exposed concrete ridges risks damaging the suspension or bursting a tire,” noted taxi driver Rajesh Shaw. “What used to be a quick elevated bypass is now a bumpy crawl.”As traffic congestion deepens across central arterial roads, police officials warned that unless KMDA undertakes a comprehensive overhaul of the asphalt layer rather than piecemeal patching, traffic management across the Sealdah hub will deteriorate further in the coming days.
