Govt finalizes plan to expand Dhaka–Chattogram highway into 10 lanes

The government has approved a plan to upgrade the Dhaka–Chattogram highway from four lanes to ten lanes, with an estimated cost of around Tk 6.2 trillion. To meet this massive expenditure, authorities are considering a mix of public-private partnerships (PPP) and funding from international organizations.

Officials say the new highway will accelerate trade, ease industrial production and goods transportation, and boost the confidence of foreign investors. However, the project also faces challenges—its high cost, lengthy implementation period, and lingering criticism over previous four-lane expansion work.

Earlier estimates prepared by regional offices of the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) put the cost at Tk 7.32 trillion. The revised plan has reduced the figure slightly, but due to the strategic importance of the project and the addition of new features, the cost still remains very high. The RHD owns about 90% of the required land along the 250-km stretch, yet expenses could not be significantly lowered. To put this into perspective, the 2016 upgrade to four lanes cost only Tk 380 billion, while the new expansion is projected to cost nearly 16 times more.

With support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), feasibility studies and design work have already been completed. The proposed highway will be a six-lane access-controlled expressway, meaning travelers will need to pay tolls. Additionally, two-lane service roads will be built on both sides for uninterrupted movement of all types of vehicles. The plan also includes six multi-level flyovers, more than 20 service interchanges, three-meter-wide emergency lanes, and modern multi-layered interchanges to ensure safety.

Project Director and Additional Chief Engineer of RHD, Md. Sabbir Hasan Khan, said the design aims to transform the country’s most vital economic corridor into a state-of-the-art highway. “It will be a full-scale toll expressway ensuring faster and safer travel,” he noted.

He further explained that part of the highway may be developed under PPP, while ADB is currently assessing which sections will fall under private investment and which under loan financing. According to RHD sources, finalizing the development proposal will take at least another six months.

Traffic data shows that in 2019, the highway carried 35,482 vehicles daily, which has risen to 46,501 in 2024. With traffic volumes continuing to climb, experts view the new expansion as a timely initiative to meet the country’s growing transport demands.