Kolkata: The deep craters that turned VIP Road into a death trap for thousands of commuters are finally getting a temporary fix.After a week of traffic nightmare, the state PWD has begun replacing some of the arterial road’s worst monsoon craters with paver blocks in a stopgap measure aimed at keeping the airport corridor motorable until a full-fledged resurfacing can be taken up after the rains.Two stretches featuring multiple large craters beneath the under-construction Kaikhali metro station and another near the Chinar Park crossing have already been filled up. On Monday, workers were seen laying paver blocks outside the Kaikhali Traffic Guard on the Ultadanga-bound flank between Kaikhali and Haldiram’s. The badly damaged service roads between Haldiram’s and Kaikhali that remained submerged for several days after last week’s downpour will also get patchwork repairs over the week.The move comes days after TOI highlighted how repeated spells left several city roads cratered, prompting Kolkata Traffic Police to ask civic agencies, particularly KMC and PWD, to undertake urgent repairs.The officials admitted that a permanent repair was impossible during the monsoon but said they opted for paver blocks instead of conventional bitumen patchwork because the solution is more resilient against heavy rain and can be installed with minimal disruption to traffic.“The paver blocks are the fastest way to treat a cratered portion of the road without blocking daily traffic for longer durations. While patchwork repairs with bitumen often get worn out after two or three spells of rain, re-exposing the craters, the paver blocks address both the practical and aesthetic requirements of this important corridor,” said a senior PWD official.PWD engineers said the paver blocks also allow better drainage, require less maintenance during the rainy season and can withstand traffic movement more effectively than temporary bitumen patches. A comprehensive restoration of the carriageway with mastic asphalt has been planned after the monsoon, well before the Durga Puja rush.“The road had become a nightmare over the past week. Every few metres there was either a crater or a broken patch. You had to keep changing lanes to avoid potholes, making the drive extremely stressful,” said Salt Lake resident and regular airport commuter Atanu Chatterjee. Motorcyclist Saurav Gupta, who rides to New Town every day, added that the damaged road became particularly dangerous for two-wheelers.Cops admitted that the potholes were not only slowing traffic but also posing a serious threat to motorists, especially two-wheeler riders. “We repeatedly requested the agencies to carry out repairs to restore smoother traffic movement,” said a Bidhannagar Traffic Police officer.
