Officials said commuters will soon be able to travel from New Garia to Salt Lake Sector V after girder-launching work on the Chingrighata stretch of Kolkata Metro Orange Line begins on May 15. The operation will bridge a 366-metre viaduct gap on the New Garia–Airport corridor by lifting precast concrete segments to complete the structure. Construction will be carried out overnight in two phases, from May 15 to 17 and from May 22 to 24.

The work followed the Supreme Court dismissal of the state government’s plea against a Calcutta High Court order, after which Kolkata Police and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited finalised traffic diversion plans. Officials said the no-objection certificate for temporary traffic blocks had remained pending since two February, delaying the project for more than a year. Preparations for the diversion had been tested through phased traffic movement on a newly built slip road near Chingrighata.

During the first phase, northbound vehicles on the EM Bypass will be diverted through a 500-metre two-lane road constructed by RVNL after the Metropolitan bus stop and will rejoin the bypass near the Chingrighata crossing via Majherpara. In the second phase, southbound traffic will use a portion of the northbound flank near Chingrighata before reconnecting with the main carriageway near the approach to the Chingrighata flyover while northbound traffic continues to use the slip road.

The Orange Line is operational between Kavi Subhash and Beleghata and completion of the missing stretch will allow commuters from the southern fringes to access Salt Lake Sector V and interchange with the Green Line for Sealdah, Esplanade and Howrah Maidan. Passengers will also be able to interchange with the Blue Line at Esplanade, improving connectivity across north Kolkata and southern suburbs.

Officials said they expect faster movement in other delayed metro and railway projects under the BJP government in Bengal, including the Purple Line connecting Joka and Esplanade. Work near BC Roy Market in Esplanade had been stalled over trader relocation and the Purple Line is currently operational between Joka and Majerhat.