As Eid nears, concerns grow over traffic bottlenecks in Elenga, Jamuna Bridge

With Eid holiday approaching, travellers heading north from Dhaka are fearing severe traffic congestion along the unfinished four-lane highway from Tangail’s Elenga to the Jamuna Bridge.

The long-delayed construction project, which remains less than halfway complete, has raised concerns about potential travel disruptions during one of the busiest times of the year.

During Eid, the number of vehicles on this route typically triples.

In response, workers under the South Asian Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC-2) project are scrambling to manage traffic flow, particularly in areas such as Salla, Analiabari, and Bhabla along the Dhaka-Tangail highway.

For many travellers, however, the experience of past Eid journeys offers little reassurance.

The sheer volume of vehicles often slows toll collection at the Padma Bridge, sometimes causing complete standstills.

Such delays ripple across the network, leading to prolonged gridlock on both ends of the bridge.

Meanwhile, law-enforcing agencies recently held a coordination meeting with transport officials to strategise ways to prevent long tailbacks.

Superintendent of Police Md Mizanur Rahman announced that 750 officers would be deployed along a 65km stretch of the Tangail highway.

The highway will be divided into four sectors, with round-the-clock patrols commencing on Mar 25 and continuing beyond Eid.

The SASEC-2 project, which aims to upgrade the 190km highway from Elenga in Tangail to Hatikumrul in Sirajganj and Rangpur, has seen slow progress.

The Phase 5 section of the road from Elenga to the Jamuna Bridge is only 40 percent complete despite four years of work.

The contract for this section was awarded to Abdul Monem Limited in December 2021, with an expected completion date in 2025.

Despite earlier assurances that key segments would be open before Eid, the contractor has failed to finish major sections of the highway, leaving travellers bracing for delays.

Meanwhile, officials at the Jamuna Bridge report that daily vehicle crossings typically range from 18,000 to 20,000.

However, this number surged to more than 55,000 during last year’s Eid.

Law-enforcing agencies attribute many of these delays to software issues with the Jamuna Bridge’s toll collection system, which frequently malfunctions, forcing long queues of vehicles to a standstill.

In past years, improper traffic management on the Sirajganj section approach to the bridge has also led to gridlock stretching back into Tangail.

Adding to the complexity, thousands of unfit vehicles take to the roads during Eid, carrying workers and labourers from industrial hubs like Gazipur, Kaliakair, Savar, and Ashulia.

Many of these vehicles are poorly maintained, and a single breakdown can lead to hours-long delays.

Passengers accuse unscrupulous transport owners and complicit law-enforcing agencies for allowing these unsafe vehicles to operate unchecked.

Azgar Ali, a driver for Ena Paribahan bus, said reckless driving, overtaking, and unfit vehicles all contribute to traffic jams.

“The police must perform their duties properly,” he said.

“In addition, there is sand in many places for construction work along the highway. If it comes into contact with a little bit of rain or any other water, the road can become slippery and major accidents can occur.”

Minhaj Uddin, a driver for Shyamoli Paribahan bus, blamed slow construction work for worsening congestion.

“The lack of oversight and negligence by project officials and contractors is making this highway even more dangerous,” he said.

“Accidents are happening regularly because of it.”

Yet, Rabiul Awal, project manager for Abdul Monem Limited, maintained that travellers would benefit from the four-lane expansion by Eid.

“Forty percent of the work on this section is complete,” he said.

“Before Eid, the entire northbound lane of this part of the highway will be open to traffic.”

Authorities at the Jamuna Bridge, meanwhile, have announced plans to keep toll booths open around the clock.

Ahsanul Kabir Pavel, the bridge’s site office executive engineer, said that nine booths would be operational at both ends, including two dedicated for motorcycles.

Additionally, an unused section of railway track will also be used for transportation, said Pavel.