Potholed, waterlogged highways await Eid time home goers

Regular travellers said that uncomfortable journeys await Eid time home goers as the highways were full of potholes.
They said that the potholed highways get waterlogged even after moderate rains.
The key Dhaka-Tangail Highway provides highly uncomfortable journey to 20 northern districts as work is in progress to turn its Joydevpur to Elenga section into a four-lane connectivity, reported New Age Tangail correspondent.
Travellers are nagged by constant traffic congestions on the busy Dhaka–Tangail Highway and the problems are aggravated with buses stopping frequently to drop and pick up passengers, he reported.
Other unauthorized parking also slows down travel along the key highway, he reported.
The ongoing piling and earth filing to turn the Joydevpur-Chandra-Tangail-Elenga section of the highway into four-lane always keeps parts of highway closed to traffic, he reported.
The ongoing work creates 10 to 30-km long tailbacks at various sections of the highway, particularly at Chandra, Gorai, Mirzapur, Postakamuri, Sohagpur, Natiapara, Korotiya and Ashkapur bypass.
At Chandra the traffic jam gets acute as a number of highways, notably the Dhaka-Joydevpur and Dhaka-Ashulia-Baipail highways meet there.
With the highway, under use for the transportation of passengers and goods between the capital and 20 northern districts, remaining ever busy it takes up to 12 hours to reach Tangail from the capital, though the travel time would be two hours only if the traffic jams were not there.
Mamoni Paribahan owner and former president of Tangail District Bus Owners’ Association Kamruzzaman Khan said potholes on the highway from Tangail to Elenga create serious traffic congestions on this section of the key highway.
As his buses run between Tangal and the capital, he said movement of trucks carrying materials for the turning the road into four-lane highway should be stopped to facilitate travel of Eid time home goers.
The Trishal-Teler Ghat section of the Joydevpur-Mymensingh Highway developed big potholes during the recent rains, reported our Mymensingh correspondent.
About 1.5km stretch of the highway on the Mymensingh end of the Teler Ghat bridge caved in recently, he reported.
As work is in progress to turn the Joydevpur-Mymensingh road into a four-lane high way its Seed Store-Kachina Bazaar section witnesses constant traffic congestions.
Too many auto-rickshaws and pick-up vans parked near the wayside bazaars at Bhoraduba, Seed Store, Joina and Master Bari choke the highway at these points.
Mymensingh District Motor Transport Owners’ Association secretary general Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman said serious traffic congestions from Mohakhali to Gazipur slows down movement of vehicles.
The Dhaka-Tangail Highway at Konabari creates problems for the motorists with too many buses, three wheelers and legunas parked here and there. Too many wayside bazaars also create problems for traffic movement, reported our Gazipur correspondent.
Ongoing work to turn the Chandra-Kharajora (Kaliakoir) road into four-lane highway keeps traffic waiting for hours often forcing motorists to take the wrong side of the way.
Ongoing work to turn the Dhaka-Chittagong road into a four-lane highways causes serious traffic congestions at several points, reported our Chittagong correspondent.
Subsidence of a 10km stretch of the highway between Dhumghat and Mirersorai became a fresh cause of huge traffic congestions, he reported.
Dhaka-Chittagong Four-Lane Project’s additional director Arun Chakma told New Age that a six km stretch of the highway was under repairs as non stop movement of heavy trucks damaged it.
Motorists and public transport drivers said that 40 per cent of the Mirersarai- Feni section of the highway developed potholes.
New Age correspondent in Khulna reported that bus drivers began using an alternative road one month ago to avoid the potholed Khulna-Mongla highway at Katakhali in Kabirhat upazila.
The Khulna-Satkhira and Khulna-Jessore highways developed several potholes, he reported.
Buses and motorists have to make a long detour via Moulvibazaaar to reach the Sylhet district town as the Sherpur Bridge on its main entry point is under repairs, reported New Age correspondent in Sylhet.
The damaged four km of the Rajshahi-Tanor regional highway made journeys difficult, reported New Age Rajshahi correspondent.
Roads and highways department superintending engineer (maintenance circle) Md Saiful Alam told New Age that the repairs would be completed before Eid.
Speaking at a mobile motorcycle registration programme at the capital’s Manik Mian Avenue, road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader said that this year there would be no traffic congestions on the highways as they were in good condition.
He, however, instructed the Roads and Highways Department to suspend ongoing works on highways for 10 days before the Eid to facilitate uninterrupted traffic movement.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net