Places to See in Kolkata
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Blunders★ This city ★
10 public-works wonders, catalogued in Kolkata, West Bengal — every entry sourced from news reports, RTI replies and civic archives.
Kolkata has spent no small sum on attractions of unmatched ambition. Below, ranked as filed, are the public-works entries every visitor should know about before their next trip through the city. Whichever route you take, the guide covers what to see, its current status, and roughly how much it cost the public to build.
Vivekananda Road (Posta) flyover collapse
An under-construction flyover collapsed onto a crowded market street during a weekday, killing 27 people and injuring around 80; investigators found defects across design, construction, materials and supervision after 7 years of delays.
Majerhat bridge collapse
A more than 50-year-old bridge collapsed during evening traffic, killing 3 and injuring over 25; it had been flagged unsafe in a 2016 audit but received only "patchwork" bitumen repairs.
Tala Bridge
One of Kolkata's oldest bridges was closed first to heavy vehicles and eventually to most traffic for years after being declared structurally weak, echoing the Majerhat collapse.
Ultadanga Flyover — Girder Collapse and Recurring Structural Cracks
Built by Mackintosh Burn Ltd. and inaugurated in January 2011 to link VIP Road/the airport with EM Bypass, a 200-metre iron girder of the flyover collapsed into the Keshtopur canal in March 2013 after a heavily loaded trailer struck the structure, injuring three people. In July 2019, KMDA inspectors found a fresh crack in one of the flyover's piers, forcing a 72-hour traffic shutdown, with officials noting a portion of the same flyover had broken down six years earlier.
Batanagar (Sampriti) Flyover Cracks
Billed as West Bengal's longest flyover (roughly 7km) and dedicated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in January 2019, the "Sampriti" (Harmony) flyover developed visible cracks on pillars 121 and 122 by January 8, 2020 — barely a year after opening — forcing KMDA to halt all vehicular movement for about 26 hours as a precaution.
Maa Flyover — Decade-Long Delay, Cost Overrun and Chaotic Partial Opening
Now West Bengal's longest flyover, it originally targeted an August 2012 deadline but was extended multiple times. It opened in October 2015 without its connecting ramps to the AJC Bose Road flyover finished, causing severe traffic chaos that forced police to temporarily shut it down; the eastbound and westbound connecting flanks were not completed until August 2016 and February 2019 respectively.
Bowbazar East-West Metro Land Subsidence
On August 31, 2019, a tunnel-boring machine building the East-West Metro corridor struck an aquifer beneath Bowbazar's soft, historically wetland soil, causing numerous two-century-old buildings on Durga Pituri Lane to crack and partially collapse; 23 houses were demolished. The crisis recurred in May 2022 (3 more houses razed) and October 2022 (10 buildings cracked, 136 more residents evacuated), with a Jadavpur University expert panel subsequently recommending 45 additional houses be razed.
Kalighat Skywalk — Four-Year Construction Delay
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation began building a "mega" skywalk to Kalighat Temple in 2021, displacing hawkers from the temple approach road and temporarily relocating around 195 traders to makeshift units at Jatin Das Park. Traders were told they would return to permanent stalls within 18 months, but the project dragged on for four years before keys to the new multi-storey market building were finally handed over on March 27, 2025.
New Market (S.S. Hogg Market) Renovation Stalled
Two years after the West Bengal government allocated ₹26 crore to renovate the 1874-built, Victorian-Gothic New Market — appointing Jadavpur University as consultant for central air-conditioning, seismic retrofitting, and repairs to its drainage, roof and toilets — no actual construction work had started on the deteriorating structure, which has cracked pillars and walls, flooding during rain, and roof leaks, despite housing 3,000 shops that generate ₹25 crore in annual revenue for KMC.
Joka–Esplanade (Purple Line) Metro — Over a Decade of Delay
The Purple Line was sanctioned in 2010-11 to connect Joka with Esplanade, with RVNL awarded the construction contract in 2011. Only the 6.5km Joka-Taratala stretch actually opened, inaugurated by the Prime Minister in December 2022 — more than a decade after sanction. The remaining extension toward Park Street/Esplanade remained stuck as of 2026, most recently pending a land-swap deal with Nepal's Consulate General needed to build a ramp between the Mominpur and Khidderpore stations.
Frequently Asked
Visitor questions
What is the number one place to see in Kolkata?
Our editors rank by a mix of visitor rating and sheer audacity. Scroll the list below — it's ordered as filed, oldest first.
Are these attractions safe to visit?
Define 'safe'. Daylight visits are advised. Maintain distance from open manholes, leaning structures, and anything under active repair. We accept no liability; neither does anyone else, which is rather the theme.
How much did these projects cost?
Where public figures exist, they're listed on each attraction's page, sourced from tenders, budgets and RTI replies. Several projects have no publicly disclosed final cost — that's noted too.
Can I suggest an attraction for this guide?
Kolkata produces new landmarks faster than we can rank them. Submit a photo and location via the 'Submit a Blunder' button, and our desk will verify and add it.