Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Gangtok: Travel time between Siliguri and Gangtok will drop from four hours to 90 minutes. Sikkim Minister N.B. Dahal confirmed this during a press conference addressing state road conditions. The project relies on the completion of the Melli-Singtam stretch of NH-210 and the Sevoke-Melli four-lane road. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways officially brought the Melli-Singtam section under the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited in June 2025.
NHIDCL requested consultancy proposals in 2026 to draft a report for the mountain highway. Costs for this segment exceed ₹1,000 crore, excluding land and tax fees. While NH10 remains under West Bengal and NHIDCL jurisdiction, Sikkim is aggressively pushing local infrastructure. Dahal highlighted that 572 kilometers of monsoon-damaged roads are getting a face-lift. Workers will use Mastic Asphalt technology for these repairs, which carries a budget of ₹546 crore. These roads aim for a seven-year life span with guaranteed contractor maintenance.
The state is also battling the fallout from recent disasters. "Around 10 to 12 bridges were washed away over the past two years due to Glacial Lake Outburst Flood events," Dahal said. Reconstruction is underway for the Sirwani Bridge, targeted for completion within two years. The Nayabazar-Singla Bridge is moving forward with Asian Development Bank support. Furthermore, crews are upgrading the Adampul-Jhakri Falls road and drainage system. This specific contract is finished, and the department expects to wrap up work by March 2027.
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