The government has taken the initiative to upgrade the Dhaka-Chittagong National Highway, known as the main artery of the country’s economy, to a six-lane toll-based access control highway and a total of 10 lanes with service roads on both sides. The potential cost of the project is estimated at around Tk 62,000 crore. The feasibility study has already been completed with the assistance of ADB, and the Department of Roads and Highways (DRRH) will implement it.
On Tuesday (December 23), Executive Engineer of Soj Chittagong Mosleh Uddin said that the financing for the project has not been finalized yet. However, the government is in discussions with multinational organizations like ADB, World Bank, AIIB and JICA for financing.
According to the SAO, more than 80 percent of the country’s import-export trade is transported through this highway. About 850 million taka of labor hours and fuel are wasted every day due to traffic congestion. In 2019, the daily vehicle traffic was about 35,000, which increased to 46,000 in 2024; it could reach 70-80,000 in the next five years.
Despite being upgraded to four lanes in 2016, the road is struggling to cope with the increased pressure. The new project will have four-lane service roads on both sides of the six-lane main highway, electronic toll collection, emergency lanes, modern monitoring and safety systems. There are also plans to build six multi-level crossings and more than 20 flyover interchanges.
Ataur Rahman, Additional Chief Engineer of the SAW, said that if the project is implemented, the country’s GDP could increase by 1 to 1.3 percent and there will be a major change in connectivity with Chittagong Port, Matarbari Deep Sea Port and Mirsarai Industrial Area.
SAWJ said that field work will begin once funding is confirmed.