On November 17, 2022, Union Minister of Roadways, Transport, and Highways Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone for three national highway projects totaling Rs. 1206 crores in Siliguri.
The first project is the construction of a four-lane elevated road from Balason to Sevoke Army Cantonment, which connects Matigara, Darjeeling More, Champasari and Salugara in between. The length of the road would be about 13 km and would effectively cut down the traffic in Darjeeling More, Champasari, and Salugara making the travel towards Sikkim, Kalimpong, and Dooars more convenient. The project is the development of 4/6 lanning of NH 31 with service roads on both sides from 569.258 km to 581.030 km (end of AH-02 on NH31 near Shivmandir (Balason) to Sevoke Army Cantonment), which is expected to enhance the tourism, trade, and business sectors. The project is expected to cost around 1000 crores.
Darjeeling MP Raju Bista had raised the concern of traffic in the town of Siliguri during the Lok Sabha session previously, stating that Siliguri is the chicken neck as this corridor connects West Bengal with Sikkim and other North Eastern States, and road infrastructure is a topmost priority in this town. He had placed the proposal demanding the construction of a 4-lane road to cut down on heavy traffic from Darjeeling More and Champasari, which otherwise had become a headache for the locals and tourists in Siliguri.
The other project includes the construction of a 2-lane road over bridge (ROB) at Odlabari to replace the level crossing at 615.5 KM of NH-31. The third national highway project is the construction of a two-lane road over bridge (ROB) at Maynaguri to replace the level crossing at 661.1 KM of NH 31. These two projects would solve the inconvenience caused to road traffic at the time of a railroad crossing.
These projects are expected to boost international connectivity, as NH-31 also connects India with Bhutan, by minimizing travel distance and time. The inauguration of these projects on November 17, 2022, marks the beginning of change in the Siliguri and Dooars regions. The road infrastructure development in North Bengal is of utmost importance as it would facilitate trade, business, and tourism, providing better connectivity to neighboring countries such as Nepal and Bhutan.
