NH 31A reconnected

KalimNews, Kalimpong, 17 July 2014: Throughout the day all vehicles plied through the National Highway 31A normally. There was no disruption after the road at Likhubhir was connected by constructing a bailey bridge. The road was closed for 24hrs for construction of the bridge at Likhubhir 18 km away from Kalimpong and is now open since this early morning.

Vehicles one at a time was allowed to pass through the bridge, at the same time the construction of a protection wall in the river Teesta is also going on. 

According to officials of BRO the 60 ft long bailey bridge needs strong base which is under construction, so only the vehicles weighing less than 40 tonnes are allowed. On the completion of the construction of a strong base it will be open for all vehicles.

This road is the only lifeline in between Sikkim and the rest of India. Hundreds of loaded vehicles often pass through this stretch of road which is maintained by Border Roads Organisation. 

Since three years the widening of the road into 4 lane highway is still under construction.  

From the last year the river Teesta has been transformed into a reservoir lake by NHPC by storing the water for power production. The barrage at 27th mile has been monitoring the flow of the river water for the electricity generation. Since then various problems has arisen and the most serious is the danger towards the road and the vehicles plying on this road and the people using these vehicles for their communication. The life of the existing road is in peril and fearing that an alternative road construction is under way which may take another couple of years.