The Centre has approved ₹993.64 crore to upgrade the 28-kilometre Rangpo-Ranipool stretch of NH10 in Sikkim into a two-lane highway with paved shoulders, tunnels, viaducts and measures to stabilise vulnerable sliding and sinking zones, Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari said.
Gadkari announced the approval on social media, saying the project would include bridges and cut-and-cover sections in addition to tunnels and viaducts. The planned works are intended to strengthen the road through difficult Himalayan terrain, where landslides, subsidence and erosion have repeatedly disrupted movement.
The Rangpo-Ranipool section is a critical part of Sikkim’s internal road network. The landlocked state also depends heavily on a 52-kilometre stretch of NH10 in Bengal between Sevoke and Rangpo for its connection with the rest of the country. That corridor runs along the Teesta river and has faced recurring landslides, erosion and ground instability.
Gadkari said the upgraded road would support tourism, agriculture, horticulture and the movement of essential goods. He also described the project as important for strategic connectivity, including the movement of defence personnel and supplies. Sikkim shares international borders with China, Nepal and Bhutan.
Road disruptions have imposed significant costs on Sikkim in recent years. During the current monsoon, landslides at the 20th Mile area near Bardan caused major interruptions. Tourism stakeholders have also linked continuing connectivity problems to the economic impact felt since the glacial lake outburst flood in October 2023.
Sikkim chief minister Prem Singh Tamang, also known as Golay, said in 2024 that the state was losing ₹100 crore every day in state goods and services tax revenue when NH10 was closed. He had said that traffic to Sikkim was being affected and that the closure was taking a toll on the state’s economy.
The National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, which maintains the highway, has restricted vehicle movement between 9pm and 6am in two phases along the 52-kilometre Sevoke-Rangpo stretch. The first phase began on October 7 and was scheduled to continue until October 15, while the second phase was scheduled for October 26 to November 5.
Sikkim’s lone Lok Sabha member, Indra Hang Subba, welcomed the funding approval and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gadkari. He also acknowledged the efforts of chief minister Tamang and state roads and bridges minister Nar Bahadur Dahal, calling the project an important step for connectivity, tourism, agriculture, trade and strategic access.
