Siliguri, April 17, 2026 — Commuters and tourists traveling through Siliguri today are advised to plan their journeys with extra buffer time. The Siliguri Traffic Police has issued a comprehensive advisory warning of significant traffic slowdowns across major routes due to a combination of ongoing infrastructure projects, political rallies, and local market activities.
To prevent gridlock, authorities have laid out specific diversions, particularly for those heading toward Bagdogra Airport, New Jalpaiguri (NJP) Railway Station, and the neighboring hill stations.
Construction Zones and Road Closures
Ongoing development and repair work will severely impact the city’s primary bottlenecks. Police have highlighted the following critical zones:
Darjeeling More: A known congestion point, this junction is currently undergoing major development work. Commuters are strongly advised to avoid this crossing and use alternate routes.
NH-10 (Siliguri Gate to Champasari More & Salugara): Highway repair and improvement activities are actively underway. Drivers are instructed to reduce speed and maintain a safe following distance through these work zones.
Sahudangi–Ambari Link Bridge (Teesta Canal): The bridge at Canal More is completely closed to facilitate the construction of a new bridge. Traffic moving between Belacoba/Siliguri and Ambari/Sahudangi must detour via Nawapara More.
Political Rallies and Market Congestion
Adding to the infrastructural delays, two major political events and weekly markets are expected to choke specific corridors this afternoon:
Panighata More to Gossainpur: A massive political bike rally will commence from 12:00 PM onwards, keeping the route heavily occupied.
Ashighar More to Naresh More: A second political rally is scheduled to proceed along this stretch between 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM.
Local Markets: The Ambari Haat and Fulbari Haat will severely slow down vehicular movement on their respective roads from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
Crucial Advisories for Tourists and Commuters
To ensure passengers do not miss their flights or trains, the Siliguri Traffic Police has mandated strict route guidance for light vehicles:
To the Hills (Darjeeling, Kurseong, Mirik): Vehicles coming from either Bagdogra Airport or NJP Station must use the Noukaghat route via Kawakhali and Khaprail Road.
To Bagdogra Airport: Vehicles coming from Jalpaiguri or Darjeeling must avoid the Darjeeling More junction entirely and utilize Khaprail Road.
To NJP Station: Commuters are instructed to avoid Sevoke Road. Instead, use the Phansidewa Underpass via Kawakhali and Noukaghat.
From Sikkim & Kalimpong: Vehicles heading toward NJP or Bagdogra Airport must bypass the city center and use the Eastern Bypass via the Bhaktinagar Check Post.
Restrictions on Goods Vehicles
To ease the burden on city roads, the movement of heavy goods vehicles into the town has been strictly restricted for the day:
Trucks arriving from the Bagdogra/Paribahan Nagar side must use the Phansidewa Underpass and avoid Darjeeling More.
Goods vehicles descending from Sikkim and Kalimpong are barred from Champasari and Darjeeling More and must be routed through the Eastern Bypass.
Commuters are urged to cooperate with deployed traffic personnel and rely on the suggested diversions to navigate the city safely today.
