NH55 on path of revamp - Survey to widen ‘bullock cart road’

Kalimpong, July 1: The Union government has commissioned a consultancy firm to prepare a detailed project report on the widening of NH55 that connects Siliguri with Darjeeling via Kurseong.

The highway was constructed by the British in the 1860s for bullock carts, which is why it is also called the Hill Cart Road.

Lea Associates, a Delhi-headquartered firm, has been authorised by the Union ministry of road transport and highways to conduct the survey on the 77km-long highway. It has already submitted a draft feasibility report to the ministry.

D. Sarang, the regional officer of the ministry, told The Telegraph over phone from Calcutta that the road would be widened with loan assistance from the World Bank.

“The preliminary study basically looked at the traffic forecast, socio-economic profile of people living along the highway and topography of the area through which the road passes. The agency is expected to submit a detailed project report in six months. After that, we need to get the approval of the ministry of environment and forests and other departments concerned for acquisition of land,” he said.

Given that the toy train tracks are laid parallel to NH55 for a good stretch of the route from Siliguri to Darjeeling, the railway ministry, too, will have to be kept in the loop before embarking on the road-widening exercise. “The consultancy firm will look into the rail track factor before preparing the draft project report,” said Sarang.

Road construction engineers said it was well-nigh impossible to widen the highway without disturbing the rail tracks.

“In most stretches of the road, the rail lines pass beside the hillsides. It is obvious that in major stretches of the road, the widening can take place only by cutting the hills. So, it is evident that the rail tracks have to be disturbed before the authorities embark on the widening. Above all, I doubt if the widening of NH55 is feasible, given that many areas in the Darjeeling hills are vulnerable to cave-in and landslides,” said a public works department engineer.

In fact, the highway has been closed to traffic for close to a year following landslides near Paglajhora. Sarang admitted that Paglajhora fell in a sinking zone and the existing road at that spot would have to be realigned.

A study commissioned by the PWD (NH division 9) has said that the sinking zone of Paglajhora is beyond redemption and the highway will have to be realigned in the area.

“The report prepared by the Netaji Institute for Asian Studies has suggested the construction of a 2km suspension bridge to avoid Pagla Jhora, but that we feel is not technically feasible,” said Nirmal Mandal, executive engineer, PWD (NH division 9).

A number of engineers The Telegraph spoke to said the better bet would be to strengthen NH55 with proper construction technology to ensure year-round mobility.

“Look at the condition of the road now. It is a misnomer to call it a national highway. The road is actually fit only for bullock carts as originally built. The authorities will be better off to turn the existing road into a modern highway with the ability to take the vagaries of nature, mostly the unrelenting rain during the monsoon,” said an engineer.