West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday announced the completion of an alternative bridge with hume pipes at Dudhia, reconnecting Mirik with Siliguri in Darjeeling district after severe landslides earlier this month damaged key infrastructure and roads.
In a social media post, Banerjee said that normal traffic over the newly built temporary bridge will resume from Monday, bringing major relief to residents and commuters travelling along the vital hill route.
“I am happy to inform you that the construction of the alternative Hume Pipe Bridge (Vented Causeway) at Dudhia, connecting Mirik with Siliguri, has been successfully completed. Normal traffic will resume over it from tomorrow,” the Chief Minister wrote on her Facebook page.
The 468-metre-long bridge, featuring a 72-metre hume pipe causeway with an 8-metre width, was constructed using 132 hume pipes of 1200 mm diameter. The project, which began on October 10, 2025, was completed within just 16 days through continuous, round-the-clock work under challenging terrain and weather conditions.
Banerjee highlighted that the old bridge, originally built in 1965, had become structurally weak, prompting the state government to approve a new bridge project worth Rs 54 crore, which is currently under construction.
Commending the Public Works Department (PWD) team for their dedication and efficiency, the Chief Minister said, “I deeply appreciate the commendable work of PWD, West Bengal, for accomplishing this challenging task in a record time of 16 days, thereby restoring this vital link and bringing significant relief to local residents and commuters.”
The completion of this alternative bridge is expected to restore connectivity and ease movement of people and goods between Siliguri and the hill regions of Mirik and Darjeeling, which had been severely affected by the recent landslides.
