Dhaka-Chittagong highway
March 10, 2011 00:00:00
The over 200-mile-long Dhaka-Chittagong highway is one of the major transportation corridors in the country. In fact, it would be appropriate to say that it is the singular most important route for land-based transportation. Not only it is the most heavily travelled highway by people but also it provides the vital connectivity between the country's biggest city and its second biggest one and main port, Chittagong. The greater part of commercial cargo is transported through this corridor. Its role is, thus, critical for export and import activities. Specially, the lead-time of export-oriented enterprises like garment industries is helped a great deal when the flow of traffic in this corridor remains smooth.
But frequent halting of traffic movement on this highway has, according to reports in the media, become something to be almost regularly expected. To cite here a recent example, a 45-kilometer-long gridlock occurred in its Dhaka-Comilla section last Friday for eight hours at a stretch; as a result of a number of accidents that left damaged vehicles on the road, traffic movement was blocked. This long disruption was not an exceptional one. Traffic coming to a standstill on this highway, particularly in the Dhaka-Comilla part, has become a familiar sight. Sometimes, the highway jams take eight to ten hours to untangle and stretch over 60 kilometres or more. Similar jams are also noted further on at Chaddagram, Feni, Sitakund and Barbakund. It has become so difficult for someone in a journey that on departing from Dhaka early in the morning, a person may reach Comilla late in the afternoon or even after sundown. Thus, what used to be a relatively pleasant two-hour journey, is no more to be enjoyed.
Highway police were posted to their present positions on this important transportation route from last year. But they remain handicapped from not having adequate logistical supports. Tug-vehicles are required for pulling away accident-hit vehicles that block the road. But there is only one tug-vehicle available at a midpoint on this highway and it remains stationed in Comilla. Every time an accident occurs, it has to be brought to the scene of it, requiring a long time and entailing hazards. Therefore, removing of this operational constraint has become a must; more tug-vehicles need to be deployed on different parts of the highway to render a better service. The number of the highway policemen may also be increased as well as their camps, supported by adequate logistics.
The work for upgrading the highway between Dhaka and Chittagong into a four-lane one, has been taken up by the government. This has been done in view of the fact that the existing two-lane facility on most part of this highway can not cope with the growing demand for traffic movement in this corridor. But implementation activities for conversion of this highway into a full-fledged operational four-lane one, has reportedly been facing difficulties because of constraints relating to supply of important construction materials. The authorities concerned do need to address such problems on a priority basis. Meanwhile, it can be objectively projected, in the light of the present state of the expansion of the economy, that traffic increases on this single highway could prove to be unbearable in the medium term, if not even in the short term. Therefore, building of a second highway on this corridor merits a serious, not merely a business-as-usual, consideration.
However, a lot of time will be unavoidable for building it. For keeping road transportation between Dhaka and Chittagong reasonably smooth during this interim period, it is imperative to make, at this stage, serious effects to expand, repave and maintain better the existing highway. The present highway should be expanded sooner rather than later by making it possible to turn it into a full-fledged operational four-lane road. Only adding narrow strips to it on the sides will not serve any worthwhile purpose. The tasks of expanding the highway with all other logistical supports should be accomplished within the definite time-frame.
