Barrackpore Trunk Road has multiple institutes and other landmarks along it, including the Indian Statistical Institute and Rabindra Bharati University. Once the areas around the road were industrial zones, but gradually, residential areas sprawled and replaced the industries. The city's 160-year-old water supply pipeline runs under the road. An elevated metro line was planned in 2010–2011 over the road from Baranagar to Barrackpore. BT Road has a major intersection at Dunlop.
Barrackpore was the first British cantonment in India, set up in 1772.[10][11] To connect it with the then country capital, Calcutta, the trunk road was built in 1775; it was the first metalled road in India and is also one of the busiest roads in the country.[12][13]
Later the areas including Khardah, Sodepur and Titagarh, along BT Road grew into industrial zones. Some of the notable mills included Mohini Mills in Belghoria, Basanti Cotton Mills in Khardah Jute Mill/ But during the late 1970–80s, deindustrialization began under the then Chief MinisterJyoti Basu's tenure in the state.[14] This led to a shift from heavy industries to small and cottage industries, with many of the industrial developments on the road closing. Gradually, property developers took up the vacant lands and built housing infrastructure along the road.[15] The announcement of metro projects also increased the demand of residential properties.[16][17]
The Baranagar–Barrackpore metro line (or Line 5) is a 12.5 km (7.8 mi) northward extension of the Kolkata Metro network along BT Road with Baranagar metro station serving as the interchange between Line 1 and Line 5. It was sanctioned at a cost of ₹2,069.6 crore (equivalent to ₹46 billion or US$580 million in 2023) in the 2010–2011 budget. This line was meant to enable a quick commute from the northernmost suburbs to South Kolkata.[26][16]
Although the work never started as the Government of West Bengal had proposed for realignment of the line via Kalyani Expressway, due to the presence of arterial water pipelines under BT Road, that supply water to Kolkata. The construction work might damage the water pipelines, cutting off the city's water supply. It might also create huge traffic congestion on the busy road.[16][27][28] As of 2021, only Shyambazar and Baranagar metro station are connected with the trunk road.
Potable water pipeline connections from Palta Waterworks to Kolkata, along the BT Road, existed since the late 1860s. After the construction of the Tala tank, it was joined with 42 in (110 cm) diameter cast iron pipes.[29][30] There are six pipelines of 42–70 in (110–180 cm) diameter, under BT Road connecting the Tala reservoir with Palta.[31] It also carries water pipes of other municipalities including Sodepur and Panihati.[16]
Major intersections
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Barrackpore Trunk Road end at Shyambazar 5-point crossing
