India Building New Highway in ‘Chicken’s Neck’ with 212 Million USD Investment

Darwin, September 04 : India’s central government has allocated Rs 2,077 crore for the construction of a new four-lane highway in the strategically important Siliguri Corridor, popularly known as the “Chicken’s Neck,” which connects the country’s northeastern region with the rest of India.

The 31-kilometre highway will be built parallel to National Highway 27 (NH27). The Telegraph India reported the development.

On Thursday (September 3), Indian Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said in a Facebook post that Rs 2,077.18 crore had been approved for the project. The highway will run from Bagdogra in West Bengal to Galgalia in Bihar via Panitanki and Kharibari.

The 31.2-kilometre road will be designated National Highway 327 (NH327). It will be constructed 20 to 30 kilometres away from NH27.

The Siliguri Corridor, known as the “Chicken’s Neck,” is around 60 kilometres long. At its narrowest point, the corridor is only 20 to 22 kilometres wide. Located between Nepal and Bangladesh, this narrow strip of land is India’s only land link between its northeastern states and the rest of the country.

The corridor is also located close to the borders with China and Bhutan, making it strategically vital for India’s domestic and external security.

Gadkari said the project, being built through the strategically important Siliguri Corridor, would strengthen connectivity with northeastern India while also improving transportation links to Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

He added that upgrading the highway to four lanes would ease traffic congestion in Bagdogra, Naxalbari, Kharibari and Panitanki. It would also improve connectivity with Bagdogra Airport and other important regional centres.

The project is expected to facilitate faster transportation of agricultural products, horticultural goods, tea and other locally produced commodities to major markets.

Galgalia in Bihar’s Kishanganj district and Panitanki in the Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district will serve as two key ends of the project. Panitanki is one of the popular transit routes connecting India with Nepal.

The project will include three major bridges, one road overbridge, five elephant underpasses and service roads on both sides of the highway.

India Steps Up Infrastructure Push Around Siliguri Corridor

Since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh in August 2024, India’s central government has stepped up efforts to strengthen security and infrastructure around the Siliguri Corridor.

Alongside increasing defence installations in the corridor, the government has also undertaken several initiatives to improve connectivity infrastructure.

Recently, plans were announced for a high-speed rail corridor connecting Varanasi with New Jalpaiguri (NJP). There are also plans to construct a 35-kilometre underground railway near Siliguri.

India’s Railway Ministry has additionally approved the construction of a fourth railway line between Malda and New Jalpaiguri.

A retired army officer told The Telegraph India that NH27, like the railway network connecting NJP with other parts of the country, is the main road link between Siliguri, the Northeast and the Indian mainland.

According to the officer, the proposed highway from Galgalia in Bihar through the “Chicken’s Neck” would provide a second, parallel road connection. He suggested that the project could also have strategic considerations.

Meanwhile, the Indian government is also working to upgrade infrastructure at Bagdogra Airport. There are plans to introduce commercial flights from Hasimara in Alipurduar district.

A squadron of India’s Rafale fighter jets is stationed at the Hasimara air base.

Five Elephant Underpasses Planned

One of the key features of the new highway project is the construction of five underpasses for elephants.

Several sections of NH327 that will pass through the Kurseong Forest Division have been identified as elephant movement zones.

The forest department had demanded dedicated passages beneath the highway to allow elephants to cross safely.

A senior forest official said elephant movement in these areas is particularly high during the paddy harvesting season.

He said the five underpasses would reduce the risk of elephants being injured or killed by fast-moving vehicles.

Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista welcomed the highway project.

He said that given the strategic importance of the Siliguri Corridor, the significance of the project goes beyond improving regional connectivity.

According to him, the project will strengthen the economic infrastructure of North Bengal while making it easier for the movement of essential goods, services and people between eastern and northeastern India.

Sources: The Telegraph India and NDTV