Government approves upgrade for strategic NH717A highway project

To expand NH717A and improve connectivity, climate resilience, and security between the Bengal and Sikkim regions, the Central government allocates ₹770 crore.

The National Highway 717A (NH717A) will be upgraded with ₹770.25 crore approved by the Indian government, improving connectivity between Sikkim and West Bengal. Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, announced the approval on April 6, 2025. The project entails widening and upgrading NH717A to a two-lane highway with paved shoulders for 18.42 kilometres from Lava More to the start of the Pedong bypass in Kalimpong district, as well as slope protection work along the Bagrakote-Kafer stretch in Jalpaiguri and Kalimpong districts, and a 5.2-kilometer stretch from Reshi to Rhenock in Sikkim.

NH717A provides an alternative route to NH10, the main link between Sikkim and the rest of India, which is frequently disrupted by landslides during the monsoon season. The upgraded corridor aims to provide a climate-resilient route by utilising advanced technologies such as self-drilling anchors and gabion structures, thereby improving regional connectivity, allowing for all-weather access, and boosting tourism and socioeconomic development.

The strategic importance of NH717A has grown since India and China’s Doklam standoff in 2017. The highway, which spans 140 kilometres from Bagrakote in Jalpaiguri district to Ranipool near Gangtok, is expected to improve military logistics and border security.