New road to reduce travel time to Sikkim by an hour

JALPAIGURI: Work has started on a new highway between Malbazar and Sikkim that will not only reduce travel time by over an hour, it will also be less prone to disruptions caused by landslides. The new road constructed by National Highway & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) is set to be completed by 2024.

The new alignment that will bypass the existing NH-10 and make its way through Jalpaiguri and Kalimpong districts via Oodlabari, Bagrakot, Chunabhati, Chuikhim, Lolegaon, Lava, Algarah, Pedong and Aritar before reaching Nathula via Gangtok will traverse around 150km, around 50km short of NH-10. While the road will be an alternative to the landlocked state that finds supplies disrupted when landslides occur during monsoon,