Indian Railways is set to complete its portion of the road overbridge at Burdwan Road in Siliguri by March 31, according to Gautam Deb. The update follows a coordination meeting between railway engineers and representatives of the Trinamool-run Siliguri Municipal Corporation.

At the meeting, railway officials shared the project schedule and handed over key documents, informing civic authorities that the railways’ portion of the project would be completed and transferred to the Siliguri Municipal Corporation by the end of March. Deb said a detailed bar chart outlining the work plan had been provided.

According to the schedule, deck casting over the railway track connecting Siliguri Town and Siliguri Junction stations is expected to be completed by February 15. This will be followed by bituminous surfacing and site clearance, after which the project is slated to be handed over between March 25 and March 31. Officials from the state Public Works Department and the Siliguri Metropolitan Police were also present at the meeting.

The 1.1 km-long road overbridge, initiated in 2018 by the state PWD, has been a politically sensitive project in recent years, with delays drawing criticism from opposition parties. The mayor has blamed the railways for slowing progress, alleging that the handover may be delayed due to the impending Assembly elections.

Project sources said construction was affected by several factors, including disruptions during the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to a cost escalation from around Rs 448.5 million to Rs 687.5 million. The railways are responsible for constructing a 51-metre stretch over the tracks and were allocated about Rs 146.2 million by the state government for this purpose.

Darjeeling MP Raju Bista has previously criticised the delay, stating that the Centre had released Rs 615.4 million for the project during the 2017–18 financial year. He had said the flyover was intended to ease traffic congestion in Siliguri and expressed disappointment over the prolonged execution.

Deb said the PWD has largely completed its share of the work and outlined plans for utilising the space beneath the flyover. The area will be cleared and used for car parking, with a portion developed as a recreational playing zone. The Siliguri Metropolitan Police will design the traffic layout, and service roads will be made operational.

Political observers said the renewed push to complete the project signals the ruling party’s intent to have the flyover operational ahead of the Assembly polls, amid sustained opposition criticism comparing the delay with faster completion of centrally funded highway projects around Siliguri.

Separately, the mayor said construction of drainage, footpaths and dividers along Nivedita Road will begin soon. The road is a key connector between Hill Cart Road and NH10, linking areas such as Pradhannagar and Gurungbusty.