Traffic movement on the National Highway 10 (NH-10), the crucial arterial road linking Sikkim and Kalimpong to the rest of the country, resumed early on Sunday evening after a two-day disruption caused by a landslide.

According to the Kalimpong district administration, vehicles started plying through the affected the Birikdara stretch of the highway after restoration work was completed by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) from around 5.30pm on Sunday.

“Traffic on NH10 has been restored this (Sunday) evening. The road had been blocked by a landslide in the Birikdara area, but NHIDCL carried out the necessary clearance work, and we have now reopened the highway,” said Kalimpong superintendent of police, Srihari Pandey.

The landslide, which occurred on Friday at Birikdara, which is around 35km from Kalimpong brought down boulders, rubble, and trees, cutting off direct road connectivity to Sikkim and Kalimpong via NH10.

In the interim, the district administration had advised commuters and transporters travelling to Sikkim to use alternative routes through Gorubathan, Lava, Algarah, Teesta Bazar, and Rangpo.

However, the diversions led to significant inconveniences for residents and tourists alike, with long queues reported on both sides of the blocked sections of the highway and extended travel times for those journeying between the plains and the hills.

The reopening of the arterial highway has brought much-needed relief to the tourism sector in north Bengal.

“The reopening of NH10 has brought much-needed relief to commuters and transporters. As the primary highway connecting the Himalayan state, its closure severely affects movement and trade,” said Samrat Sanyal, the general secretary of the Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism Development Network.

The NHIDCL is a central public sector undertaking set up in 2014 that functions under the ministry of road transport and highways.