The Chingrighata flyover in Kolkata reopened on Thursday morning after the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) installed reflective road studs to reduce the risk of skidding, a day after three motorcyclists lost control on the wet structure in separate incidents.
The accidents took place around 5.30am on Wednesday after drizzle left the flyover wet. The studs were installed across the width of the road at intervals of about 10 metres, rather than in the straight lines typically used to mark lane boundaries and road edges. A senior KMDA engineer said the arrangement was intended to make motorists reduce speed before negotiating a sharp turn on the flyover.
The structure was closed around midnight on Wednesday to allow the work. Engineers said the flyover could not be reopened immediately because the studs needed time to cure. Traffic resumed around 8am on Thursday, although the closure had already caused congestion during the morning rush hour on the Parama flyover and the Ultadanga-bound flank of the EM Bypass near the Chingrighata crossing.
A senior Kolkata Police officer said the number of vehicles approaching Chingrighata from the south increased steadily through the morning. The decision to install the studs followed an inspection of the accident site by police officers and KMDA representatives on Wednesday evening. After considering several safety measures, the agencies selected the studs as an interim step to reduce the possibility of skidding.
Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nand said the preliminary investigation had not established a link between the accidents and the paint applied to the flyover. Investigators would also examine whether any of the riders had been making social media reels while driving, he said. The police have not attributed the crashes to a single cause.
Urban development minister Agnimitra Paul said anti-skid paint had been used on the flyover and that the police would investigate the incidents. “Corrective steps would follow,” she said. A permanent solution for the Chingrighata flyover is expected to be considered after Puja, according to the report.
The accidents have also prompted scrutiny of the Gariahat flyover, where similar painted strips have been applied. Kolkata Police said Gariahat did not present the same immediate challenge because it was relatively straight and did not have sharp turns. There were no immediate plans to install studs there.
The wider beautification work has also drawn questions over funding and implementation. Trinamool Congress MLA Kunal Ghosh posted a video on social media that purportedly showed paint being removed from a flyover with high-pressure mechanical sprayers and questioned the safety of the state’s beautification drive. Paul said the anti-skid paint had been funded through corporate social responsibility initiatives rather than public money. In Asansol, about 215km from Kolkata, paint applied at Shaheed Bhagat Singh More was washed off using high-pressure mechanical sprayers.
The KMDA and police are expected to consider a permanent safety treatment for the Chingrighata flyover after Puja, while the investigation into the accidents continues.
