The long-delayed flyover on Burdwan Road in Siliguri is expected to be open to the public by mid-July, nearly seven years after its construction began.
Mayor Gautam Deb made the announcement during his "Manusher Kachhe Cholo" public outreach in ward 8 of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Saturday.
“The Burdwan Road flyover will be inaugurated by July 15. Work is in its final stage and we are pushing to meet the deadline,” said Deb, adding that efforts were being made to complete the remaining tasks on schedule.
Once operational, the space beneath the flyover will be developed into a multi-use zone featuring a children’s play area, a cafeteria and a large parking facility aimed at easing traffic congestion in the surrounding locality.
The mayor also revealed plans to create two additional parking areas at Station Feeder Road and Sevoke Road to further reduce traffic pressure in the town.
Construction of the 1.124-km-long flyover, a key infrastructure project on one of Siliguri’s busiest roads, began in 2018 under the Bengal’s public works department (PWD).
Its progress was, however, hampered by multiple delays, including disruptions during the lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The project’s initial estimated cost of ₹44.85 crore was later revised to ₹68.75 crore.
Political observers believe that the completion of the flyover could be a significant achievement for the Trinamool Congress-led civic board, especially with the Assembly elections expected next year.
“If completed ahead of the polls, the project could help offset public criticism over the delay — particularly as the BJP-led central government has been actively working on road connectivity in the region,” one observer said.
This flyover is among the major urban infrastructure projects taken up in Siliguri, alongside the ongoing mega drinking water project being implemented with central government funding under AMRUT 2.0 (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation).