Construction of Gaibandha flyovers likely to disrupt Eid travel

GAIBANDHA, Mar 24 (bdnews24.com): The six-lane Dhaka-Rangpur Highway may pose significant challenges for homebound Eid travellers due to ongoing flyover construction in the Gobindaganj and Palashbari upazilas of Gaibandha district.

Concerns are rising that the construction work in these two upazilas may cause severe traffic congestion during the Eid rush.

In Gobindaganj upazila, the under-construction flyover spans 1.5km of the 2km road from Pantapara to the Women's College. Meanwhile, in Palashbari, flyover construction work is underway for a stretch of about 0.6km, from the police station to Mitali Hotel.

Due to the construction, the main highway lanes remain closed, forcing all vehicles to use narrow service lanes. With the expected surge in traffic during Eid, drivers, passengers, and locals fear the situation may escalate into severe gridlock.

Bus driver Rafiqul Islam noted that the six-lane expansion is nearly complete in Sirajganj, Bogura, and Rangpur, allowing vehicles from Dhaka, Sylhet, and Chattogram to reach Gobindaganj quickly.

Similarly, vehicles from the eight districts in the north, including Dinajpur and Rangpur, also have quick access to Palashbari.

However, the ongoing construction in Gobindaganj and Palashbari is slowing down traffic. This has already led to frequent congestion, and the added pressure of Eid travellers could worsen it further.

Another transport worker, Ashraful Islam, shared similar concerns, warning that the congestion could become unmanageable.

Tanjimul Islam, a resident of Gaibandha's Sadullapur area, "Most of the time, we have to wait for a long time in Gobindaganj due to traffic jams. This traffic jam can become even worse during Eid."

Gopal Mohanta, a businessman from Gobindaganj upazila, said: "The roads are often congested because of the trucks transporting sand, rods and stones and the excavators used to construct the flyover in Gobindaganj upazila Sadar. There will be additional traffic on this highway during Eid, which will affect the people who are going home."

Md Touhidul Islam Mandal of Palashbari upazila's Giridharipur echoed the same concerns.

Palashbari businessman Momenur Rashid Sagar pointed out that due to the road expansion work, the sides of the highway have been dug out, and large chunks of concrete rubble have been left on both sides of the roads. This has made it difficult for vehicles and pedestrians to use the road, exacerbating the traffic congestion.

However, Mozaffar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Gobindaganj Highway Police Station, said, "The police are taking the issue of traffic jams in Gobindaganj and Palashbari very seriously. The Highway Police have already taken many steps."

He said, "Ten different teams, each comprising local and Highway Police, District Traffic Police and Ansar members have started working on these two highways."

Gaibandha District Police (Traffic) Inspector Shah Alam said that they have taken similar steps.

Bulbul Islam, Gobindaganj Police Station's officer-in-charge, said, "To ensure that Gobindaganj remains traffic-free during Eid and that passengers from the northern districts can return home without any delays, 30 to 40 personnel from the Highway Police, Thana Police and District Police will be working on the 2km road from Pantapara to Gobindaganj Women's College."