A subway complex is set to come up at the Karunamoyee intersection, one of the busiest in Salt Lake.
The pedestrian subway will open in front of Vidyasagar Bhavan and in front of Central Park on the opposite side.
The four-point Karunamoyee crossing is a key intersection on the way to Sector V from Salt Lake as well as other parts of the city.
Throughout the day it witnesses heavy traffic.
The Karunamoyee bus stand is nearby and office-goers as well as commuters converge here to catch buses to various parts of the city and its outskirts.
The crossing has autorickshaw stands that connect Karunamoyee with the Ultadanga railway station, Beleghata, Phoolbagan and Kankurgachhi.
Now, pedestrian movement is regulated through traffic signals but it is not uncommon to see people running and crossing the road even as vehicles drive past them.
The pedestrian subway complex is going to be built by the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA).
The decision to build the subway here was taken following a survey on vehicle and pedestrian density conducted by the Bidhannagar commissionerate’s traffic wing.
“Karunamoyee is busy any day. The rush is worse when the annual Kolkata book fair is on at Central Park. The subway is essential,” said a senior KMDA official.
Bidhannagar MLA Sujit Bose, also the state’s fire and emergency services
minister, said: “We have constructed several subways along VIP Road, in places like Lake Town crossing, Golaghata and Dum Dum. The one in Karunamoyee will help both residents and commuters,” Bose said.
A senior KMDA official said they had already drawn up a design of the subway.
According to the official, they are now measuring how much space they need to cordon off and if there is any need to block a portion of the carriageway at the crossing. The next step will be a detailed project report.
The subway will be built using “the box-pushing technique that is both time-saving and needs minimal digging, the official added.
It will be equipped with escalators for people going down and coming.
Across the city there are several subways that don’t have escalators and people simply avoid climbing up and down the subway stairs.
