For the first time since the structure's inauguration across the Hooghly in 1992, the roadway of Vidyasagar Setu is being refurbished. A section of the carriageway is being restored at a time and is off-limits to vehicles. According to officials, the road surface on both sides and in the centre is being scraped off with a machine. Once the surface on a particular stretch of the carriageway is scrapped off, a layer of mastic asphalt will be laid. We will ensure that the surface is free of undulation so commuters have a smooth ride, said an official of the Hooghly River Bridge Commissioners (HRBC), an agency under the Bengal government that maintains the bridge. HRBC officials stated that work began last week and would extend until the end of April. The overhaul will result in a more durable road surface, one that will not require periodic repairs. Post-repairs, motorists driving down the bridge will have the same feel they now enjoy on Red Road, said an official. “The entire road surface of the bridge, including the ramps, spanning a little over 8km, will be overhauled at an estimated cost of Rs 27 crore. According to structural experts, the operation of scraping off the road surface on a bridge, known as milling, helps preserve the structure's dead-load. Applying layers of mastic asphalt to the road during repairs often increases the dead-load of a bridge, rendering it liable to collapse. According to engineers, the increase in dead load caused the Majerhat bridge to collapse in September 2018. “The process of milling the road surface is expensive as well as time-consuming. It takes over 16 hours to scrape off around 200 metres of road surface,” said an HRBC engineer. Vidyasagar Setu is India's longest cable-stayed bridge, at 823 meters. Engineers from two firms, Freeman Fox and Partners and Bharat Bhari Udyog Nigam Ltd, oversaw the bridge's construction, which took over 22 years. It first opened its doors on October 10, 1992. Engineers are pressed for continuous work time, thus police have offered traffic closure only at night on the reconstructed flank. The scraped-off area is cordoned off in the morning, and vehicles are directed to move in a single file when necessary. The mastic asphalt for the repairs is being made at a company in Dankuni and is being carried to the site in carriers equipped with thermostats that keep the mix at 200 degrees Celsius. This could be the best quality mastic asphalt we have, the engineer remarked. A river traffic police patrol squad rescued a Jharkhand resident after he was found floating on the Hooghly near Baje Kadamtala Ghat about 8.30 a.m. on Saturday. Kalu Ram Hembram, 26, is receiving treatment at Calcutta Medical College and Hospital. See also: Nitin Gadkari approves road projects worth Rs.8.12 billion Foundation stones laid for projects worth Rs.160 billion