The Coronation Bridge at Sevoke. File picture

Siliguri, Jan. 16: The Centre has sanctioned Rs 50 lakh to prepare a detailed project report on the construction of a new bridge over the Teesta at Sevoke Bazaar as an alternative to the Coronation Bridge.

Heavy traffic has been banned on the Coronation Bridge that connects the Dooars and the Northeast with the rest of the country since a crack was discovered on its archway last month.

The communication network in north Bengal will get another boost with the state government today announcing two roads linking Nepal and Bhutan with Bangladesh through north Bengal.

North Bengal development minister Gautam Deb said Rs 50 lakh had been sanctioned by the Union ministry of surface transport and roadways as two principal bridges over the Teesta connecting the Northeast could not bear the entire traffic.

“We have mainly two roads that link the Northeast, Bhutan and two north Bengal districts (Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar) to the rest of India. While Coronation Bridge forms a part of NH31, Teesta bridge is along NH31D in Jalpaiguri. With the Coronation Bridge at Sevoke developing a crack, only light and medium vehicles are allowed to pass through it. The result is that heavy vehicles have to depend on the Teesta bridge to travel to and from the Dooars,” said the minister.

He said although the Teesta Barrage at Gajoldoba was also being used by vehicles to cross the river, it could not be construed as a principal bridge.

“The bridge over the barrage is not wide and strong enough to bear a lot of vehicles. Besides, there are no proper roads to the barrage.”

The Teesta bridge, too, is incapable of handling the entire traffic as it has only two lanes.

“NH31D is in a pitiable condition and traffic snarls are quite common on the route. The Teesta bridge has just two lanes and it cannot bear the entire load. Even if we can ignore the road condition and passengers’ inconvenience, construction of an alternative bridge on a war footing is required in the interest of national security,” said the minister.

Deb had submitted a report on the state of the roads and the bridges to the chief minister on January 4. The minister said Rs 50 lakh had been sanctioned after the chief minister had taken up the matter with the Union government.

“The money will be used to carry out a survey and prepare a detailed project report on the construction of a new bridge at Sevoke Bazaar,” he said.

Sevoke Bazaar is 20km from Siliguri and 7km downhill from the Coronation Bridge.

Deb also said the state government would build two four-lane roads to link the neighbouring countries through north Bengal.

One road will originate from Panitanki (Nepal border), located around 35km from Siliguri, and end at Fulbari along the border with Bangladesh. Bagdogra and North Bengal Medical College and Hospital will fall along the route. Fulbari is 10km from here.

The second road has been proposed to start at Jaigaon (on the Bhutan border), 175 km from here, and end at Changrabandha, located along the boundary with Bangladesh. Changrabandha is about 80km from Siliguri.