Forty Kilometer Traffic Gridlock Grips Dhaka-Chittagong Highway Following Bridge Repair Work
Photo Collected
A massive 40-kilometer traffic gridlock has paralyzed the Dhaka-bound lane of the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, leaving thousands of commuters stranded for 30 consecutive hours. The congestion, which began at 8:00 a.m. local time on Friday, persists as of 3:00 p.m. Saturday, stretching from Ashriarchar in Sonargaon, Narayanganj, to Elliotganj in Daudkandi, Comilla.
The gridlock was triggered by emergency road repair work on a bridge in the Sonargaon area of Narayanganj, which necessitated a temporary halt in traffic flow. The resulting bottleneck has caused severe delays for travelers, with reports confirming that at least one patient suffering from cardiac distress died while trapped in the stationary line of vehicles overnight.
Commuters have faced extreme hardship due to the extended wait times coupled with soaring temperatures. Ariful Islam, a passenger traveling from Feni to Dhaka, reported that his journey, typically expected to take three hours, had already exceeded seven hours by the time he reached the Daudkandi area.
Sub-Inspector Rabiul Islam of the Daudkandi Highway Police Station noted that the congestion initially reached as far as the Comilla Cantonment area, affecting a 60 to 70-kilometer stretch of the highway. While the situation has evolved, the impact of the maintenance work continues to severely disrupt transit.
Inspector Mohammad Shamim of the Bhaberchar Highway Police Outpost in Gazaria, Munshiganj, confirmed that the repair work on the Dhaka-bound lane is the primary cause of the ongoing disruption. He stated that highway police personnel are actively managing traffic flow to mitigate the suffering of drivers and passengers, though the backlog remains significant.
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