Traffic congestion persists on Dhaka-Chattogram highway

Commuters continued to face long delays on the Dhaka"Chattogram Highway as heavy traffic congestion persisted in the Daudkandi section of Cumilla.

The tailback, stretching around the Meghna and Gomti bridge areas, has significantly slowed traffic, with journeys that normally take about two hours extending to six or seven hours, according to drivers and passengers.

The congestion is mainly attributed to bottlenecks at the two-lane Meghna, Gomti and Kanchpur bridges, where vehicles from the four-lane highway are forced to slow down. Ongoing construction of parallel bridges and increased traffic volume have further worsened the situation.

Drivers said traffic queues extended for several kilometres on both sides of the Meghna Bridge, causing severe inconvenience to passengers, including women, children, elderly people and the sick.

Abul Kalam, officer-in-charge of Daudkandi Highway Police Station, said the congestion was intermittent rather than permanent. He attributed the delays to toll collection and traffic management around the bridge construction sites.

He added that traffic pressure could increase further during the weekend due to higher vehicle movement, while highway police are continuing efforts to ease congestion.

SKS