A pipe with a six-metre diameter is being laid Taratala onwards along James Long Sarani, which served as a breather for Behala traffic in the face of a perennially clogged Diamond Harbour Road. "The work started on April 5, 2005. Three years on, there's no sign yet of the work being completed," rued Behala deputy superintendent of police (traffic), Pritish Nandi.

Even Ram Mohan Roy Road and Ho Chi Minh Sarani, which could have shared the excess traffic on DH Road, have been partially blocked due to the project. "With the arterial roads in a bad shape, most motorists prefer to take DH Road. Had the authorities met the deadline for completing the work within a year and a half, there would have been no such problem," added Nandi.

There are three preferred routes from Thakurpukur and Joka. First is MG Road, which takes one from Thakurpukur to the Tollygunge Metro station, but it is one of the busiest roads. Another is James Long Sarani that connects Joka with Taratala. But the major volume of the traffic plies along DH Road, which connects Joka to the city.