The road connectivity in the Mangan district of Sikkim received a major boost on Wednesday as a new bridge was opened over the Teesta river at Sangkalang.

In October 2023, a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) on the South Lhonak Lake washed away the bridge at Sangkalang, an important entry point to Dzongu, and tourist hotspots like Lachen and Lachung.

“The bridge will serve as a lifeline of the transport network for residents of Dzongu as well as the upper parts of north Sikkim like Chungthang, Lachen and Lachung. We thank the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for building the bridge,” said P.N Lepcha, Sikkim minister for forest & environment and science & technology, who inaugurated the bridge on Wednesday.

Sources said the new bridge, which is 230 feet long, had been built by the BRO’s 107 Road Construction Company (RCC) of 758 Border Roads Task Force (BRTF), under Project Swastik.

BRO functions under the Union defence ministry.

“The BRO took around five months to build the new modular bridge. It has restored a vital connectivity in north Sikkim. From today, the bridge, which has come up along the Mangan-Chungthang corridor, will remain open round the clock,” said a source.

It was a high-altitude project that was executed under some of the harshest weather and terrain conditions.

“The BRO engineers and personnel had to work amid strong river currents, unstable riverbanks, and complex logistics to deliver the bridge in record time. It will help in the movement of essential supplies, emergency services, and tourists to the upper reaches of north Sikkim,” the source added.

Senior officials of the Mangan district administration and the BRO were present at the inauguration.