Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday laid the foundation stone of three national highway projects worth Rs 1,206 crore in Siliguri area of north Bengal. Gadkari, who is on a whirlwind tour of the state, said that infrastructure development in north Bengal is key to boosting the region's tourism industry.

"Work for these projects will begin in December. The region will get a 5.12-km-long six-lane road, a 3.6-km four-lane road, and another 3.7 km elevated road. "These projects will help improve connectivity and save time of travellers commuting to Darjeeling, Sikkim and Bhutan," he said.

The Union minister of road transport and highways, on the occasion, also announced that a bridge on the Teesta River will soon be built at the cost of Rs 1,100 crore. Several other infrastructure projects are in the pipeline, he added.

Gadkari, later in the day, is scheduled to lay the foundation stone of two more national highway projects at Raiganj in Uttar Dinajpur, besides four other projects at Kharagpur in the West Midnapore district.

(With PTI inputs)