The Centre has announced a Rs 61,500-crore road infrastructure programme linking Siliguri with Guwahati, Shillong and Silchar, alongside a sanctioned six-lane bridge over the Teesta river at Sevoke in Darjeeling district. The projects are intended to strengthen connectivity through the Siliguri Corridor and improve movement between north Bengal, Sikkim and the Northeast.
Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari said the Centre would develop a 630-km, four-lane expressway from Siliguri to Silchar through Guwahati and Shillong. The announcement covers both brownfield and greenfield stretches, with the Siliguri-Guwahati section accounting for 400 km and an estimated investment of Rs 30,000 crore.
“From Guwahati, the road would be extended to Shillong and Silchar. This will enhance the road connectivity in north Bengal and the Chicken’s Neck,” Gadkari said, referring to the Siliguri Corridor, the narrow land link between the rest of India and the Northeast.
The minister also announced the approval of Rs 1,175.59 crore for a 6.91-km-long, six-lane major bridge with approaches across the Teesta on NH-10, also known as old NH-31. The proposed bridge will run parallel to the Coronation Bridge in Sevoke, originate near Sevoke Bazaar and connect towards the Dooars.
In a social media post, Gadkari said the Sevoke bridge would strengthen links between Sikkim, the northeastern states and the Siliguri Corridor. He said the project would support the movement of passengers and freight, regional trade and commerce, tourism and logistics, while contributing to socio-economic development in the region.
The Siliguri Corridor is bounded by Nepal and Bhutan to the north and Bangladesh to the south, with China located near the wider region. Its strategic and logistical importance has made road capacity around Siliguri a continuing infrastructure priority. The new announcement follows an earlier central plan for a four-lane highway from Gorakhpur to Siliguri, expandable to six lanes.
Together, the proposed Siliguri-Silchar corridor and the Gorakhpur-Siliguri expressway would create additional long-distance road links between northern India, north Bengal and the Northeast. The announcement, however, currently establishes the proposed alignments, sanctioned funding and stated project objectives; the supplied report does not provide construction schedules, land-acquisition details, tender dates or completion deadlines.
Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista welcomed the decisions, saying the highway corridor to Guwahati, Shillong and Silchar would strengthen connectivity, economic growth and national security. Gadkari said the improved road infrastructure would reduce travel time, ease congestion and support the movement of goods and services. The next stages will depend on project execution, including the development of the identified road stretches and construction of the approved Teesta bridge.