The Red Road closure for a Mahalaya event has triggered widespread traffic disruption across Kolkata, with diversions affecting key routes between the central business district and south Calcutta as persistent rain, Puja shopping and narrowed roads add to congestion.
Red Road has been largely closed since October 6, with police allowing vehicles through one flank intermittently. The restrictions are expected to continue until Sunday, according to a report by Telegraph India. The event itself is scheduled to last a little over three hours on Mahalaya evening, but the extended road restrictions have affected traffic movement across several parts of the city.
Vehicles diverted from Red Road have placed additional pressure on Mayo Road, Dufferin Road, Outram Road and R.R. Avenue. These routes connect major central areas and have been carrying traffic that would ordinarily use Red Road. Traffic was reported to be crawling on several major roads on Thursday.
The disruption has sharply increased journey times for commuters. A professional travelling from Salt Lake to Dalhousie said the journey took three-and-a-half hours on Wednesday. A Ballygunge resident said it took more than an hour on Thursday to cover the roughly 6km distance to Dalhousie.
The traffic pressure has coincided with a period of unusually high movement across the city. Persistent rain has slowed vehicles, while Puja shopping has increased both vehicular and pedestrian activity around commercial areas. Around New Market and Gariahat, crowds spilled onto roads, vehicles stopped near shops and higher pedestrian movement further reduced available carriageway space.
The effects were not limited to the roads immediately surrounding Red Road. Traffic on the city-bound side of EM Bypass was reported to be slow, while the Parama flyover also witnessed sluggish movement. Rain on Thursday further reduced road capacity because wet surfaces led to slower vehicle movement on already congested corridors.
The closure illustrates the operational pressure created when a major central-city road is restricted during a period of heavy seasonal travel and commercial activity. With Puja pandals narrowing roads in several stretches and shopping-related traffic increasing, diversion routes have had to absorb demand from multiple directions at the same time.
A traffic department officer said authorities were trying to keep vehicles moving and that necessary diversions had been made. The restrictions on Red Road are expected to remain in place until Sunday, with traffic arrangements continuing during the event period.
