Govt plans to upgrade Dhaka-Ctg highway to 10 lanes

Highlights:

• Of the 10 lanes, six main lanes and four service lanes
• Expansion to cost Tk73,200cr
• Detailed proposal by June
• Construction to start in December

The government has revised its plan to upgrade the existing 4-lane Dhaka-Chattogram Highway to 10 lanes, with the detailed project proposal (DPP) expected to be finalised by June this year. 

The expansion is estimated to cost Tk73,200 crore.

Earlier, the Roads and Highway Department (R&HD) had planned an eight-lane upgrade, but a December 2024 review led to the decision to expand it to 10 lanes to meet future demands.

R&HD officials said the physical work of upgrading the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway is likely to begin by the end of December this year.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, and the Asian Infrastructure Bank of China have agreed to provide funds jointly for the massive expansion of the highway that has been struggling to cope with growing traffic pressure for a long time, reports BSS.

Mohammad Jahed Hossain, superintending engineer of the R&HD, told The Business Standard that the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway expansion project is still in the feasibility study phase, and the consulting firm is expected to submit its report by June. 

"The actual cost of the expansion will be known after the detailed design is prepared," he added.

He said though there were plans to expand the highway to six or eight lanes, the government now aims to include wider service lanes. There will be six main lanes and two service lanes on each side, he added.

According to R&HD officials, elevated roads will be constructed at major market areas along the Dhaka-Chattogram highway to ease traffic congestion. A six-lane elevated road will be built from Madanpur to Kanchpur. Additionally, the existing Padua Bazar elevated road in Cumilla will be expanded to six lanes. 

Similarly, six-lane elevated roads will be constructed at various key points along the highway, including in Feni, to improve traffic flow, the officials added.

Md Sabbir Hasan Khan, additional chief engineer of R&HD and project director, said R&HD officials and the consultant involved with the project have been working relentlessly to prepare the feasibility study report, DPP and tender processing, reports BSS.

He said five foreign and local companies are currently working on finalising the project design, taking into account traffic volume and land constraints as the highway will have 10 lanes in certain areas and 6 lanes in others due to land constraints.

Sabbir further mentioned that Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation (SMEC), an Asia-based globally reputed consulting firm, is engaged in preparing the feasibility report.

"Even if the highway has 10 lanes, the users will get the benefit of a 12-lane expressway. The main road will be 6 lanes. Vehicles have to enter the main road by giving a toll. There will be 4 service lanes with two lanes on both sides for slow vehicles," he added.

The project director said, "Toll points will be installed along the highway, and barriers will be placed on both sides of the six-lane roads. Vehicles on the main road will be restricted to a speed limit of 80 kilometres per hour. Meanwhile, local buses, CNG-run three-wheelers, and other slow-moving vehicles will operate on the designated service lanes."

He added that overpasses would be constructed at each intersection of the highway. "We are currently in the process of designing the locations for underpasses and foot overbridges," he said.

Sources said that R&HD has a plan to complete the improvement work of the 229km highway in three phases.

According to the plan, three separate DPPs will be prepared for the project. The first phase, covering the 38-kilometre section between Dhaka, Narayanganj, and Munshiganj, is estimated to cost approximately Tk8,200 crore. The second phase, which spans 125 kilometres between Cumilla and Feni, is expected to cost around Tk46,000 crore. The third phase, covering the 66-kilometre section from Feni to Chattogram city gate area, is estimated to cost Tk19,000 crore.