The Bengal government is set to invite tenders for the construction of an 18km-long road linking Lebong with 3rd Mile — a project that promises to create a bypass around the bottleneck at Ghoom, where all major roads leading to and from Darjeeling converge.
The project was first mooted by the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) in 2012 to ease traffic snarls in the hill town.
“A few days ago, I had talks with the state PWD secretary. The detailed project report of the 18km Lebong-3rd Mile road has been approved, and tenders will be floated soon,” said Raju Bista, the BJP MP of Darjeeling.
The road, once completed, will provide an alternative route for entering and exiting the hill town.
At the moment, roads from Siliguri, Kalimpong, Gangtok, Mirik and even fringe areas like Takdah and Mungpoo all converge at Ghoom.
During the peak tourism season, vehicles take around four hours to cover NH110's 8km stretch from Ghoom to Darjeeling.
The tracks of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) run parallel to NH110 at many places between Ghoom and Darjeeling. The DHR operates around 13 joy rides from Darjeeling to Ghoom during the peak tourism season.
“I had always thought of levelling the road with the railway tracks (so that there is more space for vehicular traffic). The railways have in principle agreed to the proposal,” said Bista.
The Darjeeling MP added that initial requirements like no-objection certificates had been obtained for the construction of an alternative highway from Siliguri to Darjeeling.
At the moment, the primary paths to Darjeeling from Siliguri are NH110, Rohini Road and Pankhabari Road. However, the Rohini and Pankhabari roads merge with NH110 at Kurseong.
If traffic congestion in Darjeeling is to be eased, the Lebong-3rd Mile road project must be given priority, said a resident.
GTA chief executive Anit Thapa had said in 2023 that the new road would soon be constructed with support from the state government.
“The route will start from the Gorkha Stadium area in Lebong and reach 3rd Mile through the Padam tea garden. It will be a 13.5km-long route and is estimated to cost around ₹11 crore,” Thapa had then said.
The GTA was seeking financial support from the state government.