US$683 million Bangladesh highway upgrade

 Bangladesh’s Roads and Highways Department (RHD) plans to improve the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar Highway by constructing four bypasses and a flyover at five key locations in Southern Bangladesh. The project is expected to cost US$683 million (80 billion Bangladeshi Taka). In a media statement, project director and additional chief engineer Shyamal Kumar Bhattacharya said that the project is set to commence mid-2025 after the completion of the feasibility study. The tender for the project will be issued in mid-2025, with construction also expected to start in 2025.   

A loan agreement has been signed with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to fund the construction, with JICA providing Tk50 billion of the total cost. The project includes widening the Patia Bypass to 6 lanes, constructing a bypass at Dohazari Bazar, building a 3.5km flyover at Keranihat in Satkania, and building bypasses at Amirabad and Chakaria.   

Upon completion, the new bypasses and flyover are expected to reduce traffic congestion and decrease the number of road crashes on the highway. The Dhaka-Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar Highway is a critical transportation route for goods from Chattogram Port, Bangladesh’s largest seaport, and plays a crucial role in the country’s economy.