Construction Industry News
Nearly Rs 1,000 crore has been allocated for the construction of a four/six-lane road along National Highway (NH) 31 connecting the northwestern and northeastern ends of Siliguri, Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, told media.
The stretch that runs through Darjeeling More, the city's main access point, is currently a two-lane highway and is one of the congested sections of the NH. Residents of Siliguri have long demanded that the route be widened for a smoother flow of traffic.
Gadkari informed that the ministry has sanctioned an amount of Rs 995.04 crore to build a four/six lane road, including service roads from Shivmandir where Asian Highway II connects NH 31 and up to the army canton of Sevoke.
Overall, it is a 13 km stretch that connects the bridge over the Balason River - from where Asian Highway-II takes a southerly bend - with the Sevoke military station.
MP Raju Bista, Darjeeling BJP MP, said the Center was ready to develop this section of NH-31 into a four-lane highway.
Soumen Nag, a social researcher, pointed out that the highway was strategically necessary for India because it ran along the Siliguri Corridor, the thinnest part of the Indian subcontinent, and touched or was closer to several major defense establishments.
These include the Trishakti Corps Headquarters in Sukna, the Indian Air Force Station in Bagdogra, the Sevoke Military Station and the Army Camp in Bengdubi near Bagdogra.
Public works officials (PWD) said they had reserved the land next to the existing two-lane highway, which would be needed for the project.
