Engineering Company to Pull Down Chitpore bridge

The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) has chosen an
engineering company to dismantle Chitpore railway overbridge which connects
Bagbazar and Cossipore in north Kolkata. The state finance department's
approval is awaited before the work order is issued.

The bridge is in a "distressed" condition and an advisory committee formed to
study the health of bridges and flyovers recommended its demolition about four
years ago. The demolition was kept on hold as the state government had decided
to first pull down the Tallah bridge. The new Tallah bridge was opened in
September 2022.

KMDA officials said the company that pulled down the Vivekananda Road
flyover will dismantle the Chitpore railway overbridge. The company has been
chosen through competitive bidding. The matter is now before the state finance
department, whose approval is required before we can issue the work order.
The company has quoted Rs 7 crore for the project. The distress marks on the
Chitpore overbridge are visible. One can see rust in iron reinforcements. The
reinforcements below the deck slab have also got exposed.

The tender mentioned that the dismantling has to be completed within two-and-
a-half months. There are railway tracks under the bridge and the dismantling
has to be done in coordination with the railways. The two-lane bridge, which is
at least 70 years old, has 7.5m wide carriageway and footpaths on both sides
that are 1.2m wide.