American major wants to build expressway

To connect Sikkim and West Bengal

A team of the New York based firm, made a presentation to Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling on the proposed expressway between Sevoke in north Bengal and Gangtok, an official release said.

The proposed road with ten tunnels and as many bridges would cost Rs 1,550 crore and it would be fully financed by the company if the state government sanctioned the project.

The expressway would be built in four years of which one year would be required for survey works and the remaining period for its construction, it said.

A length of 30 kms of the expressway would fall into West Bengal for which the Star Universal Resource Company has got the approval of the government of the neighbouring state.

The construction company would start work as soon as it gets the approval of the Sikkim government for the proposed highway.

Chamling, Roads and Bridges Minister d T Lepcha, officials of the Border Roads Organisation and the 17th Mountain Division of the army were present during the presentation yesterday.