Desk Report:
In order to keep the travel of people heading home safe, uninterrupted and free from traffic jams on the occasion of the upcoming holy Eid-ul-Azha, special traffic management and infrastructure development work is underway on the section from Elenga to the east roundabout of the Jamuna Bridge, part of the SASEC Road Connection Project-2 of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority. Vehicles are currently moving very comfortably on this section of the highway without any kind of obstacle.
To keep the Eid journey of people heading home safe and free from traffic jams on the occasion of the upcoming holy Eid-ul-Azha 2026, Mr. Md. Bhikharuddaula Chowdhury, Director (Planning and Development) and Joint Secretary of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority, is in charge of round-the-clock monitoring in the Jamuna Bridge area.
In a statement regarding the current traffic pattern of the highway from Elenga to the East Roundabout of Jamuna Bridge and preparations for the upcoming Eid, Mr. Mohammad Abdur Rouf, Secretary of the Bridges Division and Executive Director of Bangladesh Bridge Authority, said—
In the past years, the section from Elenga to Jamuna Bridge was one of the biggest challenges for the Eid journey of the common people going to North Bengal. However, this time as part of the ongoing development work under SASEC Road Connectivity Project-2, we have taken some effective steps.
One of these is the successful combination of the constructed 2-lane service road and the existing 2-lane main road. Through this, it has been possible to ensure the facility of 4 lanes in the entire section. As a result, vehicles from both the North Bengal and Dhaka-bound sides will now be able to travel at a completely normal speed without any artificial traffic jams.
In addition, a 700-meter rigid pavement road with 2 lanes has been prepared for traffic from the East Roundabout of Jamuna Bridge to Ibrahimabad Railway Station.
Regarding the preparations for the upcoming Eid, the Director (Planning and Development) said—
By widening the road from 2 lanes on both sides to 4 lanes in the Elenga Bazar flyover area and constructing adequate bus bays, the traffic jams that used to be caused by frequent passengers getting on and off will be completely avoided.
At the same time, bamboo poles with reflective stickers and durable concrete dividers have been arranged for the convenience of drivers at night. He further said that the field-level team, law enforcement agencies and project engineers will be on duty round the clock to keep traffic moving smoothly and smoothly in the section from Elenga to Jamuna Bridge this Eid. We are committed to making the Eid journey of the common people safe and comfortable.
Under SASEC Road Connectivity Project-2, the work of upgrading the road from Elenga to the East Roundabout of Jamuna Bridge to 4 main lanes, i.e. a total of 6 lanes, including a separate 2-lane service road on one side, is in progress. To handle the additional traffic pressure during the upcoming Eid, four lanes have been practically activated on the highway at present—
North Bengal-bound vehicles: Using the constructed 2-lane service road
Dhaka-bound vehicles: Using the existing 2-lane main road
The road widening work has been completed in a special design so that there is no artificial traffic jam or slowdown during Eid in the under-construction Elenga Bazar flyover section. A total of 4 lanes, two lanes each, have been ensured on both sides of the flyover.
To prevent public transport vehicles from standing anywhere and causing traffic jams, 2 permanent bus bays have been constructed separately in the Elenga Bazar area for both the North Bengal-bound and Dhaka-bound lanes. In addition, several more bus bays are operational at several important points.
Drains have been constructed to prevent waterlogging during monsoon or sudden rains. Maximum security measures have been taken throughout the project area to prevent accidents at night and during heavy traffic.
Durable concrete dividers have been installed between the main 2-lane road under construction and the active service road. Reflective stickers have been used with bamboo poles in curved and sensitive parts, which are visible even from a distance at night.
Under the direction of the Honorable Minister and State Minister and under the overall supervision of the Secretary, Bridge Division and Executive Director, Bangladesh Bridge Authority, some more steps have been taken in the Padma Bridge and Jamuna Bridge areas on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha 2026. Under the direction of the Honorable Minister and State Minister and under the overall supervision of the Secretary, Bridge Division and Executive Director, Bangladesh Bridge Authority, some more notable steps have been taken in the Padma Bridge and Jamuna Bridge areas on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha 2026: Training of toll collectors, appointment of highly skilled toll collectors, provision of round-the-clock toll lanes, increase in motorcycle lanes, introduction of non-stop ETC, improved traffic monitoring through surveillance cameras, formation of a high-level round-the-clock monitoring team, taking measures to prevent accidents, providing emergency assistance and healthcare to passengers, opening of Elenga bus bay; Security guards will be deployed every 300 meters of the bridge, a total of 3 wreckers, including 1 heavy wrecker brought from the Karnaphuli Tunnel, will be used to complete rescue operations quickly, the necessary amount of cash will be kept at the toll booths to facilitate quick toll payment, vehicles carrying sacrificial animals will be kept out of the reach of weighing scale machines, fire service, medical team, ambulances will be kept ready to deal with any emergency situation, emergency toll lanes will be opened, and drinking water will be provided next to the toll plaza in case of emergency, etc.
