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🇧🇩 Bangladesh /Energy & Infrastructure

Road repairs cause massive traffic jam on Dhaka-Chattogram highway

From Daily Star · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Emergency repair work on the Ashariarchar Bridge on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway has caused a severe traffic jam, stretching from Daudkandi to Meghna Toll Plaza.
  • One lane of the highway has been closed for repairs, forcing vehicles to use the remaining lane alternately, leading to hours-long delays and stranded passengers.
  • The Roads and Highways Department began emergency repairs on a large pothole on the bridge yesterday, with the congestion worsening overnight due to increased traffic pressure.

A severe traffic congestion has gripped the Dhaka-bound lane of the Dhaka-Chattogram highway, extending from Daudkandi in Cumilla to the Meghna Toll Plaza. The gridlock is a direct result of emergency repair work being conducted on the Ashariarchar Bridge in Sonargaon, Narayanganj.

As one lane has been closed for the repair work, vehicles are being allowed to pass through the other lane alternately. This has caused temporary congestion.

— Shafiul IslamThe Kanchpur Highway Police Station officer-in-charge explained the cause of the traffic jam.

Vehicles have been moving at a crawl since last night, leaving thousands of passengers stranded for hours. Shafiul Islam, officer-in-charge of Kanchpur Highway Police Station, confirmed that the Roads and Highways Department closed one of the two lanes for emergency repairs. "As one lane has been closed for the repair work, vehicles are being allowed to pass through the other lane alternately. This has caused temporary congestion," he stated, noting that the intensity had eased by this morning.

The situation worsened overnight as a large number of vehicles attempted to navigate the single operational lane. Drivers reported being stuck in the same spot for hours. A bus passenger at the toll plaza, identified only as Zahir, expressed frustration: "We have been stuck here for hours. We do not even know why the traffic jam is this severe."

We have been stuck here for hours. We do not even know why the traffic jam is this severe.

— ZahirA stranded bus passenger described the severity of the delay.

According to sources from the Roads and Highways Department, a significant pothole had developed on the Dhaka-bound lane of the Ashariarchar Bridge. Its growing size and the risk of accidents prompted the department to begin emergency repairs around 11:00 am yesterday. The congestion has since spread to several parts of the Cumilla section of the highway, impacting areas like Eliotganj, Madhaiya, and Chandina. Another passenger, Hossain, reported being stuck in Chandina for about one and a half hours despite starting his journey from Cumilla at 8:00 am.

As a result, the pressure of Dhaka-bound vehicles...

— Prem Das RoyThe Daudkandi Highway Police Station officer-in-charge identified the primary cause of the congestion.
About this summary

Originally published by Daily Star in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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