Geyzing, West Sikkim — As of June 18, 2026, residents and local leaders say the 15-kilometre Legship–Geyzing road, a primary lifeline for West Sikkim, has deteriorated severely after years of inadequate maintenance and poor coordination between the State Roads and Bridges Department and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), which holds jurisdiction over the route.
Locals report that requests for upgrading the stretch have repeatedly been bounced between NHIDCL and the State department, leaving the issue unresolved. The road’s poor condition has created frequent traffic disruptions, worsened by monsoon-induced landslides that turn unpaved sections slushy and impassable. Vehicles are often stuck for hours and, in some cases, entire sections have been cut off for days after major slides.
The degraded route also links Geyzing to several key tourist destinations in West Sikkim. Tourism stakeholders say visitor numbers this year could have been higher had road infrastructure been better, and many visitors and residents now urge the government to prioritise road improvements to sustain tourism growth.
The highway’s narrow, winding alignment along steep terrain is pitted with potholes and damaged by recurring slips, raising safety concerns and causing chronic congestion. Local Gram Panchayat Units and zilla panchayat members have long demanded widening and carpeting of the road up to Pelling to ease traffic and improve connectivity, and formal representations were submitted during recent visits by Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Ajay Tamta and Governor Om Prakash Mathur.
Zilla Panchayat member Sagar Sharma said a one-time maintenance project implemented by NHIDCL has been sanctioned; the work was initially approved at over Rs 12 crore but the tender was finalised at around Rs 7 crore. “While this sanctioned maintenance work is welcome, it will not be sufficient to address the growing challenges of increasing traffic congestion, safety concerns for commuters, and the urgent need for modernization and long-term sustainability,” Sharma said.
When asked for details, Assistant Engineer Santosh Singh of the PWD, Geyzing Division, said the department had not been officially intimated by NHIDCL and that NHIDCL is handling project execution while PWD’s role would be limited to supervision during implementation. NHIDCL’s director could not be reached for comment.
Residents remain cautiously hopeful that the upcoming maintenance will ease some connectivity problems but continue to press both agencies for comprehensive widening and upgradation to secure safe, efficient and sustainable road links for West Sikkim.
Original Source: https://www.sikkimexpress.com/news-details/legship-geyzing-road-condition-hampers-connectivity-and-tourism-in-west-sikkim
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