BRO restores vital North Sikkim link with new Sangkhalang Bridge

GANGTOK, : The BRO Project Swastik on Wednesday launched a modular bridge at Sangkhalang, Dzongu over Teesta River, restoring a vital connectivity to North Sikkim.

Constructed across the powerful Teesta under extreme high-flow conditions and unstable slopes, the bridge stands as a critical redundancy to the Mangan–Chungthang corridor, ensuring restored access to Dzongu, Lachen and Lachung, said the BRO.

Dzongu MLA Pintso Namgyal Lepcha, also the Forest minister, inaugurated the newly constructed Sangkhalang bridge in Dzongu in presence of local officials and BRO officials.

The high-altitude project, executed under some of the harshest weather and terrain conditions, saw BRO engineers and personnel battle strong river currents, unstable riverbanks and complex logistics to deliver the bridge in record time.

The newly inaugurated bridge is a 230-foot modular bridge of the permanent category, with a load class of 40 tons. Constructed by the 107 RCC under Project Swastik, it was completed in five months. The bridge now provides a crucial link to Dzongu, Chungthang and border areas of North Sikkim.

With the opening of the bridge, essential supplies, emergency services, and tourism to the upper reaches of North Sikkim are expected to resume seamlessly, providing a significant boost to local livelihoods and regional stability.