Bangladesh Unveils Ambitious Dhaka-Chattogram Highway Improvement Project

The government of Bangladesh has unveiled an ambitious plan to improve the vital 232-kilometer-long Dhaka-Chattogram Highway with an estimated cost of Tk71,850.46 crore. The project aims to strengthen road safety, reduce road accidents, traffic jams, and risks, thereby giving momentum to the country's economy. The proposed upgrade is expected to create a modern transport corridor through access control, improved traffic management, and enhanced road safety measures.

Secretary of Road Transport and Highways Division Mohammed Ziaul Haque stated that the government has initiated a move to prepare the draft project to construct a 232.76-kilometer elevated expressway highway aimed at ensuring smooth traffic connecting Dhaka to Chattogram. The ministry has been trying to secure funding from possible sources, including the Asian Development Bank (ADB) or other lending agencies, for the country's most important trade and transport corridor.

The Planning Commission has already approved the Preliminary Development Project Proposal (PDDP) in principle and sent it to the Economic Relations Division (ERD) for sourcing potential financiers to materialize this important corridor. The road transport and highways division has proposed the Tk71,850.46 crore project to construct the existing Dhaka-Chattogram Highway into a six-lane, access-controlled one with service lanes on both sides.

The proposed six-lane elevated expressway will connect Chattogram Port, export processing zone (EPZ), and economic zone (EZ) with the capital, strengthening sub-regional and international connectivity alongside accelerating economic growth by boosting trade, investment, and industrial activities. The government will finance Tk16,770.07 crore of the total project cost, while the remaining Tk55,080.39 crore is expected to come from external sources in the form of project loans.

The project's major components include land acquisition, compensation and resettlement, road construction, structures and foundations, toll plazas, intelligent transport systems (ITS), toll collection systems, utility relocation, and construction supervision services. The proposal also emphasizes the construction of elderly, women, children, and differently-abled (EWCD) friendly facilities to ensure safer and more inclusive mobility.

The Dhaka-Chattogram Highway is widely regarded as the country's most important economic corridor, linking the capital with the main seaport and major industrial hubs. The proposed upgrade is expected to increase the highway's capacity, reduce travel time, and improve road safety, thereby contributing to the country's economic growth and development.