West Bengal: Next Phase Of Kolkata's Orange Line Metro Tunnel Work Set To Begin As RVNL Prepares Plan To Divert Traffic

Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) has completed the basic work for the underground tunnels of the Orange Line Metro along VIP Road and is set to commence the next phase of construction. The ongoing project, part of the New Garia-Airport Metro corridor, will soon enter a critical stage, requiring the tunnel to curve eastward toward the airport.

To ensure smooth traffic management during this phase, RVNL has sought a revised traffic block and prepared an alternative road for Kolkata-bound vehicles. As part of its strategy to minimise traffic disruptions on VIP Road, RVNL divided the construction of the final stretch into three phases.

This 29-km mostly elevated Metro line transitions underground in its last leg. Contractors from Afcons are tasked with building a 300-meter ramp and 500 meters of twin tunnels using the cut-and-cover method.

In April, RVNL began work on the diaphragm wall and top slab, around 700 meters from the airport, after cordoning off a section of VIP Road and creating a compensatory 100m x 12m road space on the Kolkata-bound flank using land provided by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). With the first phase now complete, RVNL has applied to the Bidhannagar traffic department for a revised traffic arrangement.

A fresh compensatory road, 70m x 12m in size, has been constructed on AAI land to redirect traffic while allowing construction to progress. Senior officials from the Bidhannagar traffic police and the state PWD recently inspected the new setup. An official mentioned that traffic trials are being organized to direct vehicles through a mandatory left turn along a 20-meter-wide stretch.

Meanwhile, RVNL will extend barricades near Kaikhali to facilitate ramp construction beyond pier 846, where the viaduct ends. The U-turn traffic signal post has also been shifted slightly toward the airport to accommodate this adjustment.

This meticulous planning aims to ensure uninterrupted Metro construction while maintaining smooth traffic flow on one of Kolkata's key arterial roads.