[H0RSEPOWER]

Hi,

I am planning for a trip to the hills of North Bengal. I would start on day after tomorrow (next Saturday) from my hometown at Krishnanagar. We are planning to start by 1 pm (we’ll not be able to start earlier due to some work). Kindly let me know the latest condition of the most convenient route. As we are going to start a bit late, we are planning to stop for the night stay in Raiganj & then proceed on the next morning. Please let me know if this plan is fine.

This would be my first self drive to the hills. And I would like to do work from mountain for one week. Any suggestions regarding hill drive & easier route to follow after Siliguri would be greatly appreciated(no places of stay are booked so far). And if anyone knows, kindly suggest regarding the serene places to stay in the hills with good wifi network to continue the work for one week. Thanks in advance.

[H0RSEPOWER]

I came to Darjeeling as per my earlier plan mentioned in the previous post. Just thought of mentioning the road conditions as I have observed.
I started from Krishnanagar at 2:30 pm. And reached Raiganj at around 9 pm for a night halt.
The road condition from Krishnanagar to Baharampur is mostly good apart from some stretches in Beldanga. Just before Baharampur one should take the bypass( google should show this road named as Swami Akhandananda Sarani, and it bifurcates just little after a Maruti Suzuki Arena on the right side while going towards north). While crossing the Bhagirathi river, there was too much of traffic jam. And after that till Raiganj the road again was mostly good. Most of the sections from Krishnanagar to Raiganj is four lane as of now. We stayed at Vinayak hotel near Raiganj railway station at night, which is a decent hotel for a night stay.
The next morning we left at 7 am from Raiganj. We did not face much congestion on the road & we thought of taking the Dalkhola route instead of the Botolbari(Bengal to Bengal road). Just few kilometres before Dalkhola the long queue of the lorries started. But for the regular private vehicles, the opposite side road could be used to progress without much problem, as when vehicles from opposite direction were approaching, it was slow, & there were ample place beside the right hand side of the road in most of the ares(till entering the Dalkhola town) to move aside for the oncoming vehicles. After crossing Dalkhola, the NH 27 is four kane and is in good very good shape from Islampur till Siliguri. From Raiganj, we reached Siliguri in 3 hours.
After Silliguri, we took the route via Mirik to Darjeeling(as per the advice we got, it was a less steep route). And I myself knew that it is really scenic one. After some leisurely photo stops in between we reached Darjeeling in the noon without any issues. In the last leg, it was too foggy on that day, so has to drive very cautiously.
We would return on coming weekend. And till Siliguri we are planning to take either the earlier route(maybe adding a detour to Tonglu) or else the Hill Cart road. Any advice regarding the planned route would be really great.

[arjab]

Originally Posted by H0RSEPOWER

We would return on coming weekend.

Any update you may be having on the "usability" of the Dalkhola bypass? Did you avail of it by any chance?

Seeing many videos on YouTube nowadays that the Dalkhola Bypass is now "unofficially open"

[ABHI_1512]

Originally Posted by arjab

Any update you may be having on the "usability" of the Dalkhola bypass? Did you avail of it by any chance?

Seeing many videos on YouTube nowadays that the Dalkhola Bypass is now "unofficially open"

Dalkhola bypass is not yet open officially but one flank of the rail over bridge is in use by the bikers. Small cars can’t avail since concrete blocks have been placed across the flank of the road. The bypass is in the final stages of completion and as per the locals, the bypass should be operational by the next month.

One more good thing is that the Raigunj bypass is almost ready. Finishing touches are being provided and a new toll gate is being built at the end of the bypass. I recently took the bypass after talking with the policemen manning the diversion and found the workers were giving the final touches to the whole bypass. So all in all, March end should be good for folks travelling through NH34 and a long standing hassle will cease to exist.

[arjab]

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

Dalkhola bypass is not yet open officially but one flank of the rail over bridge is in use by the bikers. Small cars can’t avail since concrete blocks have been placed across the flank of the road. The bypass is in the final stages of completion and as per the locals, the bypass should be operational by the next month.

One more good thing is that the Raigunj bypass is almost ready. Finishing touches are being provided and a new toll gate is being built at the end of the bypass. I recently took the bypass after talking with the policemen manning the diversion and found the workers were giving the final touches to the whole bypass. So all in all, March end should be good for folks travelling through NH34 and a long standing hassle will cease to exist.

Thanks Abhi for the inputs! Much appreciated!
Hoping your prophecies come true and we can designate you as the "Official Nostradamus of NH-12 (nee NH-34)"

[gmhossain]

Originally Posted by arjab

Thanks Abhi for the inputs! Much appreciated! Hoping your prophecies come true and we can designate you as the "Official Nostradamus of NH-12 (nee NH-34)"

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

Dalkhola bypass is not yet open officially but one flank of the rail over bridge is in use by the bikers. Small cars can’t avail since concrete blocks have been placed across the flank of the road. The bypass is in the final stages of completion and as per the locals, the bypass should be operational by the next month.

Actually, both flanks of the Dalkhola Railway-Over-Bridge (ROB) is ready for quite sometime. The mastic asphalt layers were completed few weeks ago. In fact, they had removed the concrete blocks as well. I know someone who drove over the ROB sometime ago. However, now they have blocked both flanks of the ROB with concrete blocks. Apparently, now they want to complete a new 4-lane Buriganga bridge (a small bridge near the Siliguri-end of the bypass) before officially opening up the Dalkhola bypass. The new Buriganga bridge is not even casted now. So no way, the new bridge would be ready before April.

I am at a loss to understand their logic. There is a fully functional 2-lane old bridge next to the under-construction new 4-lane bridge. So if NHAI wants then they can simply remove the concrete blocks from ROB to end the Dalkhola nightmare anytime now.

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

One more good thing is that the Raigunj bypass is almost ready. Finishing touches are being provided

... except for a ROB. Yes, you read it right. There is a Railway-Over-Bridge even along the Raiganj Bypass. There only the pier work for the Railway-Over-Bridge has been completed so far. I guess, NHAI is waiting for the clearance from the Railways. I won't be surprised if there is a re-run of the love-fest between NHAI and Indian Railways that continued for almost 2 years to receive the clearance for the Dalkhola ROB.

In any case, Karandighi Bypass would open before Raiganj Bypass.

Cheers,

[ABHI_1512]

Originally Posted by gmhossain

Actually, both flanks of the Dalkhola Railway-Over-Bridge (ROB) is ready for quite sometime. The mastic asphalt layers were completed few weeks ago. In fact, they had removed the concrete blocks as well. I know someone who drove over the ROB sometime ago. However, now they have blocked both flanks of the ROB with concrete blocks. Apparently, now they want to complete a new 4-lane Buriganga bridge (a small bridge near the Siliguri-end of the bypass) before officially opening up the Dalkhola bypass. The new Buriganga bridge is not even casted now. So no way, the new bridge would be ready before April.

I am at a loss to understand their logic. There is a fully functional 2-lane old bridge next to the under-construction new 4-lane bridge. So if NHAI wants then they can simply remove the concrete blocks from ROB to end the Dalkhola nightmare anytime now.



... except for a ROB. Yes, you read it right. There is a Railway-Over-Bridge even along the Raiganj Bypass. There only the pier work for the Railway-Over-Bridge has been completed so far. I guess, NHAI is waiting for the clearance from the Railways. I won't be surprised if there is a re-run of the love-fest between NHAI and Indian Railways that continued for almost 2 years to receive the clearance for the Dalkhola ROB.

In any case, Karandighi Bypass would open before Raiganj Bypass.

Cheers,

True that, the Dalkhola bypass was in use sometime ago by the small cars but then came the concrete blocks. I didn’t know about the Buriganga part, it’s baffling if what you are mentioned is correct.

Also, Karandighi bypass has a part of bridge which is yet to be connected. As for the ROB for the Raigunj bypass, it’s a long shot. I was talking about the part which is already ready !!

[Sushil Pingua]

Originally Posted by gmhossain

Actually, both flanks of the Dalkhola Railway-Over-Bridge (ROB) is ready for quite sometime. The mastic asphalt layers were completed few weeks ago. In fact, they had removed the concrete blocks as well. I know someone who drove over the ROB sometime ago. However, now they have blocked both flanks of the ROB with concrete blocks. Apparently, now they want to complete a new 4-lane Buriganga bridge (a small bridge near the Siliguri-end of the bypass) before officially opening up the Dalkhola bypass. The new Buriganga bridge is not even casted now. So no way, the new bridge would be ready before April.

I am at a loss to understand their logic. There is a fully functional 2-lane old bridge next to the under-construction new 4-lane bridge. So if NHAI wants then they can simply remove the concrete blocks from ROB to end the Dalkhola nightmare anytime now.



... except for a ROB. Yes, you read it right. There is a Railway-Over-Bridge even along the Raiganj Bypass. There only the pier work for the Railway-Over-Bridge has been completed so far. I guess, NHAI is waiting for the clearance from the Railways. I won't be surprised if there is a re-run of the love-fest between NHAI and Indian Railways that continued for almost 2 years to receive the clearance for the Dalkhola ROB.

In any case, Karandighi Bypass would open before Raiganj Bypass.

Cheers,

Dear Brother,

I had done the to & fro drive from Jharkhand to Sikkim and back in March/April-2021 via Purulia-Asansol-Dumka-Bhagalpur-Purnia-Araria-Bahadurganj-Thakurganj-Siliguri-Darjeeling. Roads are mostly vacant and smooth in Bihar except at intersections. The section of Asansol-Dumka had rough patches but an SUV can easily glide over it.

Seems I would have to continue the route taken above for future road trips as well, this Dalkhola maze isn't going to ease soon. Am planning to traverse this route once again in Oct-2022.

Regards.

[hothatchaway]

Originally Posted by Sushil Pingua

Dear Brother,

I had done the to & fro drive from Jharkhand to Sikkim and back in March/April-2021 via Purulia-Asansol-Dumka-Bhagalpur-Purnia-Araria-Bahadurganj-Thakurganj-Siliguri-Darjeeling. Roads are mostly vacant and smooth in Bihar except at intersections. The section of Asansol-Dumka had rough patches but an SUV can easily glide over it.

Seems I would have to continue the route taken above for future road trips as well, this Dalkhola maze isn't going to ease soon. Am planning to traverse this route once again in Oct-2022.

Regards.

Honestly, the B2B route isn't half as bad as it made out to be. I have done this circuit many times (and so have many other KBhpians perhaps many more times than I have) and if anything, there is a sense of satisfaction when you traverse the some of the so called nightmare (hyperbole) stretches. And mind you I drive a small hatch and am accompanied by my wife and daughter. I have driven overnight also on this stretch (just last year, leaving kol at 4pm and reaching bagdogra in 12 hours. I have mellowed down a lot behind the wheel and seldom exceed 80kmph even on open stretches. The average time taken has been coming down steadily over the last four years which should tell you the improvements made.

If you drive an SUV there should be no problems whatsoever. After all, much of the charm of going to the mountains is also the route you take to it

I

[H0RSEPOWER]

Originally Posted by arjab

Any update you may be having on the "usability" of the Dalkhola bypass? Did you avail of it by any chance?

Seeing many videos on YouTube nowadays that the Dalkhola Bypass is now "unofficially open"

I could not avail the Dalkhola ROB, and it might take some more time to be open for four wheelers. And just being a noob, I followed the queue of lorries, which one should not do, rather in the Dalkhola section use the opposite side of the road. In case of too much congestion, follow the google map to avoid the immediate traffic jam by taking local by lanes available (that’s what we did).
And this time we got jam near the Farakka barrage as well(as there was breakdown of a lorry on the barrage)

[sayakc]

Planning to take NH34 in the coming days, so a couple of quick question to the Doctorates of NH-34:

1. Is Dalkhola Bypass open?
2. I haven't taken the SH-13 route to North Bengal. Hence, request you to provide a google map link with the right stops please

Best Regards,
Sayak

Originally Posted by gmhossain

Actually, both flanks of the Dalkhola Railway-Over-Bridge (ROB) is ready for quite sometime.

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

True that, the Dalkhola bypass was in use sometime ago by the small cars but then came the concrete blocks. I didn’t know about the Buriganga part, it’s baffling if what you are mentioned is correct.

[sbanerjee]

Originally Posted by sayakc

Planning to take NH34 in the coming days, so a couple of quick question to the Doctorates of NH-34:

1. Is Dalkhola Bypass open?

Dalkhola bypass will open this month

[black_panther]

Originally Posted by sayakc

Planning to take NH34 in the coming days, so a couple of quick question to the Doctorates of NH-34:

1. Is Dalkhola Bypass open?
2. I haven't taken the SH-13 route to North Bengal. Hence, request you to provide a google map link with the right stops please

Best Regards,
Sayak

When are you planning to leave Sayak? I'm also planning a similar drive.

Regarding Dalkhola bypass - as per the lastest videos on YouTube, small cars may take it with a little offloading.

SH13 is preety straightforward, just follow the google navigation. For stopover, there are a number of restaurants when one takes SH13 after leaving mogra flyover, towards Kolkata.

[gmhossain]

Originally Posted by sayakc

Is Dalkhola Bypass open?

Originally Posted by sbanerjee

Dalkhola bypass will open this month

As per the news report, after the meeting with state admin as mentioned by sbanerjee, the Dalkhola bypass is opening partially (with official sanction) on Mar 21, 2022.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5cFesPXLbA

However, unofficially it's open for sometime now! Of course, they had put those concrete blocks for a while. Now the blocks are removed again. Here is the real-time Google Maps traffic data along the Dalkhola bypass:

Originally Posted by sayakc

2. I haven't taken the SH-13 route to North Bengal. Hence, request you to provide a google map link with the right stops please

Here is the suggested route from Kolkata Airport to Raiganj:

https://goo.gl/maps/K3VLFzEn55aewQjC6

Cheers,

[Sheel]

This is what is shared in The Telegraph, Siliguri edition as of today.