Guwahati: Sikkim is set to achieve uninterrupted connectivity as Roads and Bridges Minister N. B. Dahal announced that the state’s vital NH-10 highway will now remain open round the clock.
Dahal highlighted the efforts of Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang and Governor Om Prakash Mathur in persuading the Centre to place NH-10 under the direct control of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways at an SKM party event in the Khamdong–Singtam constituency.
The minister said this administrative change is a significant milestone for Sikkim, which has long faced frequent highway blockages and delays in maintenance when NH-10 was under West Bengal’s jurisdiction.
Dahal told Northeast Live that the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has already taken over the task of repairing and widening the highway.
Teams are regularly clearing minor landslides, and four new tenders have been floated to address major and recurring slide-prone areas.
He assured that NH-10 will not remain closed even for a single day, adding that, at most, any traffic disruption will be limited to two hours.
The minister also mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a virtual address to Sikkim’s people, reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to the proposed Gorakhpur–Bagdogra–Gangtok highway.
Dahal said work on this highway is progressing steadily and is expected to resolve many long-standing challenges in Sikkim’s road network.
He added that ongoing construction on NH-10 will continue through the winter, with completion targeted by March.
In addition, NHIDCL is preparing to begin work on the Melli–Singtam highway, a parallel route that will help ease the heavy traffic currently handled by NH-10.