The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will build a six-lane flyover along NH27 from Assam More to Balapara near Paharpur on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri town.
Estimated to cost around ₹1,000 crore, the project is being undertaken by the Centre to reduce traffic congestion and prevent frequent accidents at several identified black spots along the route.
Jayanta Roy, the Jalpaiguri BJP MP, and Anantadeb Adhikari, the BJP MLA, conducted an on-site inspection on Saturday with engineers from the NHAI.
“The preparation of the detailed project report is in the final stages. Once it is ready, the necessary formalities will be carried out for the commencement of construction work,” said Rupesh Kumar, a deputy engineer of NHAI.
He added that no new parcel of land is required for the project. The proposed flyover will cover nearly seven kilometres and will be constructed in two phases.
A source said the flyover aims to address safety concerns near the Calcutta High Court Circuit Bench, the Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College More, the second campus of the North Bengal University, the Jalpaiguri Medical College & Hospital and other accident-prone stretches along the highway.
“All these institutions are near NH27 and there are certain black spots or accident-prone zones. To address this concern, the flyover has been planned and administrative approval for the project has been obtained,” said Jayanta, who had handed over the proposal to Union minister Nitin Gadkari in 2022.
Officials in the Jalpaiguri district administration said that Assam More, Engineering College More, Goshala More, Medical College More, Paharpur and Balapara intersections have long been identified as accident-prone spots.
Amitava Roy, the principal of Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College, said that after the highway was widened to four lanes, students and residents faced increasing difficulties crossing the road safely.
The college had urged the MP to push for a flyover to reduce the risk of accidents.
Abhijit Sarkar, secretary of the Calcutta High Court Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench Bar Association, said: “Although a separate approach road exists for the Circuit Bench, it eventually merges onto the busy four-lane highway, which makes it accident-prone. The flyover is very essential for road safety.”
Anantadeb pointed out that traffic has increased significantly following the opening of the medical college, Jalpaiguri Road railway station and the permanent building of the Calcutta High Court Circuit Bench.
The flyover will begin approximately 500 metres before Assam More for vehicles coming from Siliguri and continue past Engineering College More, where it will descend before an existing bridge over the Karala River.
The vehicles will then travel along the surface road before ascending to another flyover section around 500 metres later. This elevated stretch will continue beyond Paharpur More and descend near Balapara, close to the Teesta embankment.
“Sufficient land is available on both sides of the existing four-lane highway. However, high-tension power lines running over agricultural land between Engineering College More and Balapara will need to be raised,” said an official.
The project will also include service roads for buses and other vehicles, free passage beneath the flyover for local movement, and improved drainage facilities along the corridor, sources said.