Rohini Road Reopens – A Vital Link Between Plains and Hills Is Back

After nearly three months of disruption, Rohini Road – the mountain route that connects Siliguri with Kurseong and the broader Darjeeling hills – has reopened to traffic. The road had been shut since a major landslide on October 4, 2025, washed out a key stretch and cut off the shortest link between the plains and the hills.

For locals, drivers, and tourists alike, today’s reopening feels like a reset button. The restored route trims travel time compared with the longer detours via NH110 and Pankhabari Road that had become the only practical options for months.

What Changed
The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) moved quickly once conditions were allowed, repairing the damaged sections just in time for the New Year and reopening the road on Thursday. Officials called it a much-needed relief for the region’s seasonal travel surge.

People in Siliguri and across the hills have shared photos and video clips of vehicles flowing along the once-broken route, with many drivers remarking on how much easier and faster the trip feels now that Rohini Road is active again. (Uttarbanga Sambad, Times of India)

Why It Matters
Rohini Road isn’t just a scenic mountain drive — it’s a lifeline. Before the landslide, it cut several kilometres off the journey between the plains and hill towns, lowering transport costs for passengers and goods and making tourism economics healthier for small businesses along the route.

With the road open, shared cabs and SUVs can bypass the steeper, narrower paths of alternate routes that had become congested and uncomfortable.
(Telegraph India)

Lingering Challenges
Even as Rohini Road welcomes vehicles again, travel isn’t entirely smooth. Traffic congestion near Darjeeling — particularly around the Indira Bypass close to Ghum — has become a frustration for many, with reports of long queues and delays that stretch the trip to five hours at peak times. Local travel agents have urged authorities to ease restrictions there to match the relief felt on Rohini Road.

What to Watch Next
Work is still ongoing to fully stabilise the hillside sections and ensure heavy vehicles can use the road safely. Authorities may phase in larger trucks and buses once engineers are confident the repairs will last under load.

For now, Rohini Road’s reopening is a tangible boost for hill commuters and tourists heading into the New Year — a simple connection restored, with ripple effects for travel, trade, and local morale.