The new Farakka Bridge in West Bengal will open to traffic on October 15, bringing a four-lane crossing over the Ganga into full operation and creating an additional road link between south and north Bengal ahead of the festive travel season, according to a report by Sangbad Pratidin – Bengal.
The bridge has been built at a cost of Rs 512 crore. Its total length is 5.468 km, comprising a 2.468-km main bridge and 3 km of approach roads at both ends. Construction began in 2018 under the central government’s initiative and the supervision of the National Highways Authority, the report said.
One lane of the bridge was opened on a trial basis around three months ago. The October 15 opening will make all four lanes available for regular traffic. The bridge forms an important part of National Highway 12, which carries vehicles between southern West Bengal and destinations in the north of the state.
The new crossing is intended to reduce pressure on the existing two-lane bridge over the Farakka Barrage. Around 30,000 vehicles currently use the barrage every day, including passenger vehicles and freight trucks travelling between north and south Bengal. Traffic congestion at the crossing often intensifies during the Puja, Eid and other extended holiday periods, when travellers can remain stuck for hours and trucks form long queues.
The authorities cited in the report have said that the road distance will decrease by around 1.5 to 2 km once the new bridge is operational. Travel time from Kolkata towards Siliguri, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and the Dooars is expected to reduce by two to three hours, although the report presents this as an expected outcome rather than a measured operating result.
The opening is scheduled shortly before the Puja holiday period, when traffic towards north Bengal typically includes both tourists and commercial vehicles. Local residents and businesses have welcomed the development, while tourism operators expect easier road access to the hill districts and the Dooars during the festive season.
The new bridge also separates a major share of through traffic from the older barrage crossing, which has been carrying heavy daily loads for years. The report said experts have stressed that the benefits will depend not only on opening the new structure but also on continued maintenance of the old barrage and effective traffic management around both crossings.
With the four-lane facility scheduled to open on October 15, the immediate operational test will be whether traffic can be distributed smoothly between the new bridge, the existing barrage and the connecting road network during the approaching holiday rush.
