Inter-district road connectivity in North Bengal gets major facelift

 Asian Highway 48 has also been widened and strengthened. It enters through Changrabandha in Cooch Behar district and passes through Maynaguri and Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri before entering Birpara and Hasimara in Alipurduar to reach Pasakha at Bhutan border.

Pritesh Basu, MP, Siliguri: The inter-district road connectivity in North Bengal has received a major facelift with completion of the widening and strengthening of two Asian Highways. 

The National Highway wing of the state Public Works Department (PWD) has executed the task of widening and strengthening of Asian Highway 2 and Asian Highway 48. A senior official of the National Highway wing of the state PWD said: "It was not only a crucial task for us but, but also equally difficult as many new structures had to be built besides widening the roads for which there was requirement of land as well." 

The Asian Highway 2 enters the jurisdiction of Bengal from Nepal through Kakarbhitta and passes through Bagdogra, Shiv Mandir near Darjeeling More, Naukaghat area near Mahananda Bridge and ends at Phulbari in Jalpaiguri that is an area close to India-Bangladesh border. 

The road is crucial not only for public transport, but it serves as one of the major thoroughfare that plays a crucial role in rejuvenating the economy in the region. 

"Four rail over bridges (ROBs), Bagdogra Flyover and two small vehicular under pass (VHU) those are basically small flyovers on roads were constructed during while undertaking the widening and strengthening of the highway," the official said adding that a large stretch of the highway are now of two-lanes with 10 metres width while the remaining stretch is four-lane allowing smooth movement of heavy vehicles as well. 

Similarly, the Asian Highway 48 has also been widened and strengthened. It enters through Changrabandha in Cooch Behar district and passes through Maynaguri and Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri before entering Birpara and Hasimara in Alipurduar to reach Pasakha at Bhutan border. Besides widening the highway, one new flyover and a ROB were also constructed to ensure restriction free movement of vehicles. 

The official said the widening and strengthening of 38 km of the Asian Highway 2 and 90 km of the Asian Highway 48 were carried out at a cost of around Rs 700 crore and Rs 900 crore respectively. 

http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/inter-district-road-connectivity-in-north-bengal-gets-major-facelift-419996