People of West Bengal love travelling to Sikkim. Gangtok is like a go-to destination for us, be it to beat the heat in the summer season or to enjoy the chilly winters, we are always excited to explore Gangtok. Now travelling to so many places in Sikkim from Bengal is about to get easier with an all-new National Highway 717A! A new road-connectivity route is coming up between these two states next year and we cannot wait to plan our next trip to Sikkim already!
70 Per Cent Construction Of The National Highway Is Completed!
Nitin Gadkari, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India, shared some construction pictures of the National Highway 717A connecting West Bengal and Sikkim.
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If you have ever been to Sikkim by road, you must have travelled on National Highway No. 10. With all the vehicles passing on this single highway, it is common to see traffic jams everywhere. With the launch of the all-new alternate NH-717A, the road journey is definitely going to be much smoother and more convenient than before. R Bimala, the Kalimpong District Magistrate recently provided updates about the construction of this new road. As stated by the Magistrate, about 70 per cent of development on the road has already been completed, according to a report by Anandabazar. Also, there have been some conversations about initiating transportation on this road in the upcoming year.
Route Of The NH-717A:
This highway will be starting from Bagrakote in West Bengal and end at Ranipool in Sikkim, as shared by the Minister. This route will also be passing through Rishikhola in Kalimpong. The Centre has allocated a humongous budget of about ₹4,000 crores for this project. A review was conducted by the state administration officials. This review is to evaluate the national highway.
There is a 71-km road connecting Damdim to Algarah. Recently, it has been reconstructed for widening and the Centre allocated ₹350 crores for this project.
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I am so excited to travel to Sikkim once the vehicle transportation begins on National Highway 717A. Will you also be planning a road trip to Sikkim?
Cover Image Courtesy: Facebook/ Nitin Gadkari