Birik Dara remains one of the most fragile stretches along NH-10, having witnessed repeated landslides over the years, officials said. After taking over NH-10, NHIDCL has been working round-the-clock to ensure proper repair of this section to provide seamless, year-round connectivity for the region.
These updates were shared during a coordination meeting convened by Darjeeling MP Raju Bista on Wednesday.
Later, Mr Bista visited the site, where NHIDCL officials informed him that the work is expected to be completed before the next monsoon, offering a long-term solution to the perennial landslide problem in the area, sources added.
NH-10 serves as a crucial lifeline for Kalimpong, parts of Darjeeling, and the state of Sikkim, and given its location in a geographically sensitive zone, its significance from a national security perspective is immense.
On Thursday, Mr Bista informed the media that the tender for an alternative to the Coronation Bridge will be undertaken within December. The construction of an alternative bridge connecting Ellenbari to Sevoke has been a long-pending demand of the local population.
He noted that since 2019, he has been working to address the massive infrastructural and developmental gaps that have plagued the region since Independence.
“Even though the central government had allocated Rs 1,190 crore for the construction of a new bridge and approach road, there had been inordinate delays due to jurisdictional issues. The section was under the West Bengal PWD-NH division and has now been officially handed over to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI),” Mr Bista said.
During a recent visit to the Coronation Bridge, NHAI officials informed the MP that the alternative bridge and its approach road will be integrated into a larger plan that includes the Siliguri Ring Road and the Siliguri-Gorakhpur Expressway.
According to NHIDCL engineers, while the rest of the project is being taken up in phases, the tender process for the alternative bridge and its approach road will begin in December, with construction set to start immediately after.
The Coronation Bridge serves as a vital link between Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Sikkim, Siliguri, the Dooars region, and the northeastern states. The proposed alternative bridge will complement the existing structure and significantly reduce its load.