Toll staff play cricket on 2nd Hooghly Bridge due to closure; It will reopen tonight

On Sunday, the usually busy Vidyasagar Setu connecting Kolkata and Howrah wore an unusual look. Instead of the usual stream of vehicles, toll plaza staff were seen playing cricket on the deserted bridge as it remained closed from 4 am to 9:30 pm for essential repair work.

The closure was announced to allow maintenance of cables and bearings. During this period, barricades were placed on all approach roads, and no vehicle was permitted to climb the bridge. Despite heavy rain and cloudy skies, the atmosphere on the bridge turned unusually relaxed, while city traffic had to adjust to strict diversions.

Howrah City Police diverted vehicles through multiple alternate routes. Traffic moving from Kolkata to Howrah was routed via Howrah Bridge, GT Road and Bali, while vehicles from Kharagpur to Kolkata were sent through Nibedita Setu and Vivekananda Setu. Goods vehicles and buses were diverted via Andul Road to connect with National Highway at Alampur. Additional diversions were made through Hansganj Crossing, Shailen Manna Sarani, Howrah-Amta Road and Domjud towards Nibedita Bridge.

Meanwhile, work on installing iron beams at Kona Expressway near Santragachhi Bus Terminus partially restricted vehicle movement there as well. A large police presence was deployed at key intersections, and traffic police were seen actively guiding drivers across alternative routes to ease congestion.