Call to widen Siliguri artery

TT, Siliguri: Residents of Siliguri have raised the demand for widening of NH-31 that moves through northern end of the city, while pointing that commencement of vehicular movement along Asian Highway (AH) II that skirts the city would step up traffic congestion along the stretch in the coming days.

The AH II, that connects Panitanki at the India-Nepal border, moves through northwestern end of Siliguri and then heads southwards, where it enters Bangladesh at Fulbari, located around 5km from the city Construction of the Asian Highway is almost complete and some of the stretches have been already opened. 

As it is four-lane in most stretches, average speed of vehicles have increased around the city But near Balason in Matigara along NH 31 (on northwestern side of Siliguri), where the highway takes a southward turn, the road is two-lane again as the highway heads towards Darjeeling More and then to Sevoke via Salugara.

"The stretch between Balason to Darjeeling More is already congested. Once vehicles start moving in a fullfledged manner along the Asian Highway, it would be A flyover along Asian Highway II in Siliguri. (Passang Yolmo) more congested here. That is why it is the need of the hour to widen the stretch of NH 31. At the northern end, Darjeeling More is the principal entry point to Siliguri. For smooth vehicular movement, it is necessary to have a four-lane road here," said Avik Chakraborty, a civil engineer based in the city.

The residents also pointed that the state has taken an initiative for smooth flow of traffic on the southern end of Siliguri The state PWD is widening Burdwan Road that connects Asian Highway on the southern part and is even building a railway over bridge near Jhankar More "Vehicles moving along Asian Highway and then taking Burdwan Road to enter the city might face congestion if the road had not been widened. It is good that the state has taken up the project. But in a similar manner, widening is necessary at the northern end," said Prashant Lama, a government employee, who commutes through Darjeeling More every day. 

Sources at the state PWD department also admitted the problem and said that there are plans to widen the stretch of NH 31 that is around 10 kilometres, between Balason Bridge and Salugara "It is necessary to have wide roads which connect to four lane roads like Asian Highway. Or else, there will be traffic congestion at intersection points. The department has plans to widen the stretch and we believe it would be taken up in due course," said an official.