City in colour change mode for puja and Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

The colour makeover on median railings Kolkata: After painting the road surfaces of flyovers ahead of Durga Puja , the blue-and-white paint on the side walls of bridges and flyovers is set to disappear with state planning to repaint elevated corridors across the city ahead of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations scheduled in Jan.

Some changes are already underway. Kerb side stones are being painted black and white or yellow and black. Roadside railings and median dividers are getting a yellow-white makeover.

These changes are part of the annual coat that the city gets ahead of the festive season. State agencies, including the KMDA, have simultanously begun preparing for the city’s makeover for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas mega-event that is likely to be inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi .

An official said the estimated cost of repainting Maa Flyover is over Rs 2 crore. Crash barriers, girders and piers will be painted in black and yellow or black and white, the official said. Maa Flyover was last painted in 2025, according to sources.

“We were told about the decision to paint the flyovers at a recent meeting where the CM and several other ministers were present,” said a state official. KMDA alone will repaint over 100 bridges, flyovers and culverts in the city. Across the Kolkata Metropolitan Area, which extends up to Kalyani, the agency is expected to take up around 300 structures.

The bridges, flyovers and culverts had been painted blue and white during the Trinamool-led govt’s tenure. Sources said kerb stones that had been painted blue and white earlier are being changed to black and white or black and yellow as per the recommended by Indian Roads Congress.

While black and white is the usual colour of kerbstones, it is painted yellow and black when parking is prohibited along the kerb. Use of these colours on the kerb stones and other road infrastructure will make potential hazards easier for drivers and motorists to spot, an official said.

Among the other bridges and flyovers that could see a change in colour are Chingrighata Flyover, Park Street Flyover, Ultadanga Flyover and Durgapur Bridge in Chetla, sources said. “Govt wants to paint several bridges and flyovers, but the stress on painting Maa Flyover seems to be at the top of its priority list because of its wide use and location,” said a source.