Direct road connectivity between Mirik and Siliguri was restored on Monday, 22 days after it had been disrupted by floods that broke the old bridge, through a temporary bridge constructed over the Balason river at Dudhia on the outskirts of Siliguri.
On Sunday evening, chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced that construction of the alternative Hume pipe bridge (a vented causeway) at Dudhia, connecting Mirik with Siliguri, had been completed.
She said the 468-metre-long makeshift bridge, featuring a 72-metre Hume pipe causeway which is eight metres wide, has been built by using 132 Hume pipes, each with a 1,200mm diameter.
The project, which begun on October 10, was completed within 16 days through round-the-clock work under challenging conditions.
“The old bridge at Dudhia, built in 1965, had become structurally vulnerable. The Government of West Bengal had already sanctioned the construction of a new bridge for ₹54 crores, and the work on that permanent structure is progressing in full swing,” Mamata wrote in a social media post, while appreciating the state PWD for the construction of the temporary bridge.
On October 26, The Telegraph had reported that officials of the state PWD have said that construction of the temporary Hume pipe bridge over the Balason river was nearing completion and expected to open for traffic by Monday, following approval from the Darjeeling district administration.
Anandamoy Mondal, executive engineer of the Darjeeling highway division of PWD (roads), informed the Darjeeling district police chief through a letter that the “Hume pipe diversion road works over river Balason” on the Garidhura–Mirik–Simanabusty Road was temporarily opened for vehicles weighing not more than 10 metric tonnes.
The restriction, he stated, was necessary to ensure public safety and prevent any untoward incident.
With the restoration of the road link to Mirik, some 52km from Siliguri, residents of the hill town and surrounding areas have expressed their relief.
“People of Mirik and nearby areas had been anxiously waiting for the restoration of traffic for nearly a month. Residents were forced to take long detours to Siliguri via Ghoom or Kurseong, or had to depend on transshipment at Dudhia. The reopening of the route has come as a major relief for the entire subdivision,” said Santosh Tamang, an elected member of a local panchayat.