Kolkata airport to get new wings

After a prolonged delay over the execution of the Kolkata airport modernisation project, Civil Aviation minister Praful Patel will visit Kolkata to lay the foundation of the project on December 29.

After a prolonged delay over the execution of the Kolkata airport modernisation project, Civil Aviation minister Praful Patel will visit Kolkata to lay the foundation of the project on December 29.

“The project is finally on track after a few delays,” said SPS Bakshi, Executive Director (Project), Airports Authority of India (AAI). CPM sources said the project had been witnessing hurdles after the party withdrew its support to the UPA government. Bhoomi pujan of the project was supposed to take place during Durga Puja but got delayed.

Dum Dum MP Amitava Nandi had met AAI member (planning) V K Agarwal earlier this week to discuss the project and upgrade the infrastructure of the surrounding areas. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had also taken initiative for early implementation of the project.

Earlier, the civil aviation minister had said the project was delayed due to constant objections from the Planning Commission.

Developer of the project, an Italian-Thai infrastructure development company, has already begun mobilising equipment at the airport. The project includes construction of a 1,80,000 sq m integrated terminal to accommodate 24 million passengers by 2010, extension of the secondary runway, construction of rapid exit taxiways and aprons etc.

The state government also has a detailed plan to upgrade the infrastructure to avoid congestion on the roads leading to the terminals. As part of the revamp, an elevated corridor is expected to come up from Belghoria Expressway to the VIP Road-Rajarhat New Town Road crossing, with an interchange for an independent access to the airport.

The access road, too, will be elevated to ensure that vehicles to and from the airport are not caught in snarls.

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A flyover from the VIP Road crossing and an airport connector to the new terminal building is also on the anvil.

“The building will have its arrival terminal on the first floor and departure terminal on the ground floor. The flyover will be aligned with the arrival terminal,” said an official.

The AAI will also propose the setting up of underpasses and overpasses at the VIP Road-airport connector crossing and extension of the North-South corridor till the New Town crossing. The transport department is planning a four-lane flyover from Chitpur to the Lake Town-VIP Road crossing. “Vehicles from the south will have an easier access to the airport through the flyover,” the official added.

Nearly 6,000 vehicles visit to the airport daily. After the completion of the project and with greater connectivity, the figure is likely to touch 24,000.

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Metro Rail officials are also planning to extend operations till the airport by using the existing track for suburban trains. At present, the circular rail runs a train along this track twice daily but no airport-bound passengers use this service.

While work of extending the secondary runway has already begun, work on the surrounding infrastructure is expected to begin in February next year.