2 weeks ago
Tender floated for Rs 844 crore six-lane Sevoke bridge
The government of India wants to build a big new bridge in a place called Sevoke, in the hills of north Bengal.
The bridge will cross a large river called the Teesta.
Right now, people use an old bridge called the Coronation Bridge, which was built a very long time ago, between 1937 and 1941.
That old bridge is very crowded and carries lots of traffic between Siliguri and the Dooars.
So the government decided to build a new bridge to make travel easier.
The new bridge will have six lanes, meaning six lines of cars can travel on it at once.
It will cost about 844 crore rupees, which is a huge amount of money.
The government has invited companies to send offers, called tenders, to build it.
Many people in the region are happy because they have been asking for an alternative bridge for a long time.
The Centre floated a fresh tender on Friday for a new bridge over the Teesta at Sevoke with an estimated cost of ₹844 crore.
The six-lane bridge was recommended by the Standing Committee on Finance and the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH).
The project, to be executed on an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) basis, spans 6.85 km including approach roads along NH-10 in Darjeeling district.
The new bridge aims to ease pressure on the colonial-era Coronation Bridge, which was built between 1937 and 1941 and commissioned in 1941.
The earlier proposal was for a four-lane bridge; Darjeeling MP Raju Bista welcomed Friday's development, saying construction would begin soon.
- Who
- The Union ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) and the Standing Committee on Finance, with Darjeeling MP Raju Bista welcoming the move.
- What
- A fresh tender for an additional six-lane bridge over the Teesta at Sevoke, with approach roads, to ease pressure on the Coronation Bridge.
- Where
- Sevoke, starting around km 591.310 of NH-10 in Darjeeling district, about 25 km from Siliguri.
- When
- The tender was floated on Friday; Raju Bista had said in November 2025 that tendering was expected to begin in December.
- Why
- To ease pressure on the colonial-era Coronation Bridge due to the project's strategic importance and anticipated traffic growth.
Key facts
- Estimated cost
- ₹844 crore
- Lanes
- Six
- Total length (bridge and approaches)
- 6.85 km
- Execution model
- Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC)
- Location
- Sevoke, near km 591.310 of NH-10, Darjeeling district
- Coronation Bridge construction period
- 1937-1941
- Coronation Bridge commissioning year
- 1941
- Distance from Siliguri
- About 25 km
Quotes
Raju Bista
MP for Darjeeling
“"The construction of an alternative to the historic Coronation Bridge has been a longstanding demand of the people of our region. I am so happy that the work on the alternative bridge will begin soon."”
telegraphindia.com







