NH 10 Closure : Travel to Sikkim & Kalimpong Disrupted
Planning a trip to Sikkim or Kalimpong this May? Think again. NH 10 will be shut in two phases for emergency repairs, disrupting travel due to landslide-prone conditions. Here’s what travellers need to know.
If you were planning to pack your bags and set off on a trip to Sikkim or Kalimpong anytime soon, it might be wise to have a rethink. The principal lifeline to the hills — National Highway 10 (NH 10) — will be shut in two instalments this month for emergency road strengthening works, the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has announced.
In what can only be described as a bit of a spanner in the works for travellers, NH 10 will remain closed from 9 to 11 May and again from 13 to 15 May, for essential repairs along the battered Sevoke-Rangpo stretch. The route has been in a bit of a state ever since the 2023 flash floods gave it a proper walloping, with things only going downhill — quite literally — after the deluge of 2024.
An official notice from NHIDCL confirms that although there are slivers of hope in the form of brief window periods, these fleeting intervals — lasting merely an hour or two — are hardly enough to make a mad dash through the affected stretch. Heavy vehicles, meanwhile, are barred from movement altogether, even during these blink-and-you-miss-it slots.
The only traffic allowed to move during the closure will be NHIDCL and IRCON vehicles operating at the work sites. For everyone else, it’s time to take the long way round.
Holidaymakers and transporters will have to steer through Kalimpong, a picturesque but winding detour that adds two extra hours to the journey. And while the views may be lovely, the delay is bound to leave more than a few drivers muttering under their breath.
The works, according to NHIDCL, are not just about patching potholes. Crews will be carrying out slope protection and landslide mitigation at several vulnerable points. Valley-side restoration is also on the agenda, aiming to mend the scars left by the 2023 floods which played havoc with this crucial link road.
The situation became so dire that NH 10 was shut for nearly three months during last year’s monsoon season. With its condition resembling more of a landslide museum than a highway, the Centre finally stepped in last October, transferring responsibility from the West Bengal PWD to the NHIDCL.
All in all, while the repairs are undoubtedly the need of the hour, travellers would be well-advised to plan ahead, leave early, and perhaps carry an extra flask of tea and a bit of patience. After all, it’s not every day your road trip hits a landslide detour — twice in one week.
What's Your Reaction?
