Hell freezes over Dhaka-Mymensingh highway

The Dhaka-Mymensingh highway still puts the moon to shame with gigantic craters despite the government hastily cobbling together a patchwork ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr.

Huge potholes, stripped face of the road, digging and pile of bricks and sand for construction have apparently made the would-be four-lane highway look like a one-and-half-lane highway.

Traffic on Monday use the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway marred with potholes in South Salna area of Gazipur. Photo: tanvir ahammed/ bdnews24.com

As part of the communication ministry's drive to keep highways fit for the Eid traffic, workers repair the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway at Gazipur's Rajenrdapur on Monday. Photo: tanvir ahammed/ bdnews24.com

However, the construction to widen the two-lane highway into a four-lane one is also hampering the traffic and causing massive congestions.

Communications Minister Obaidul Quader on Monday, only a week before the Eid, claimed 80 percent repairs of the Bangladesh’s roads and highways were complete.

But the people are far from reassured that the roads will be motorable and safe for ride; they also have their doubts about durability of the patchwork.

They wonder if craters, which sprout up every year, would reappear within days of the road being repaired.

The minister on July 11 had ordered patching up of all pothole-ridden roads and highways across Bangladesh within July 20.

After his self-imposed deadline expired, Quader on Monday said it will take another "one or two days" to fix the rest of the badly damaged roads and highways ahead of Eid.

But no marked improvements were seen during spot visits to several areas on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway on Monday despite reconstructions. At some places, it looked more of a mess.

Construction equipment were put right in the middle of the road when this correspondent entered the highway via Chandna intersection in Gazipur. That has narrowed the lanes on both sides of the road.

Similar scenes were to be seen on the same road at Salna and near Bhawal National Park.

First monsoon showers in the recent days have washed asphalt off the highway and left it with countless potholes which might become the perfect reason for accidents during the huge traffic rush ahead of and after the Eid.

It was a similar story at Teliparha, Rajendrapur and Hotaparha too. Waterlogged potholes in many places were making it more difficult for motorists to drive.

Huge potholes on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, the perfect reason for an accident during the huge traffic rush ahead of the Eid, at Gazipur's Rajenrdapur area on Monday. Photo: tanvir ahammed/ bdnews24.com

As part of the communication ministry's drive to keep highways fit for the Eid traffic, workers repair the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway at Gazipur's Rajenrdapur on Monday. Photo: tanvir ahammed/ bdnews24.com

Workers, as part of the communication ministry's drive, were mending the highway with sand and bricks as a 'quick fix'.

That was barely enough for patchwork that might not survive the next spell of rain.

The Met office has forecast that July will pour random showers across the country.

The work for widening lane has narrowed the road at several stretches at the Bhawal National Park area so much that two vehicles cannot drive side by side.

Commuters say traffic slows down to a crawl at a number of places on the road and vehicles breaking down has become a regular occurrence.

A truck driver, Abdul Momen, at Salna told bdnews24.com they were not even able to drive at normal speed.

"The vehicle shakes very much at several places, which damages it and increases the risk of accident."

Gazipur resident Akram Hossain travels regularly on this road due to professional reasons.

He does not believe the potholes will be plugged within the next week. He fears the condition would rather worsen with the increase in traffic before the Eid.

A worn-out Dhaka-Mymensingh highway is unfit for traffic despite the fact that thousands will travel through this marred highway during the Eid holiday. Photo: tanvir ahammed/ bdnews24.com

A worn-out Dhaka-Mymensingh highway is unfit for traffic despite the fact that thousands will travel through this marred highway during the Eid holiday. Photo: tanvir ahammed/ bdnews24.com

"Generally this one hour travel takes five to six hours due to the road's dreadful condition. How will the people travel during Eid?"

The executive engineer of Gazipur Roads and Highways Department Md Mohibul Haque did not want to answer Hossain's questions.

"All roads in Gazipur area have already been repaired. Dhaka-Mymensingh highway is not under my authority. That's why I can't comment on this issue," Haque said.

bdnews24.com tried to reach Md Monwaruzzaman, deputy director of the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway four-lane project, for comment but phone calls went unanswered.

During an inspection of the traffic situation at Dhaka's Maghbazar on Monday, the communications minister also faced reporters hurling questions at him regarding the progress in the road repairs.

Apart from claiming 80 percent works were finished, Quader said, "The entire volume of work cannot be completed in seven days. No one is doing nothing.

“We'll have to make do for now with what we have."

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