Cloverleaf interchange, 4-lane highway to boost connectivity, trade in North Bengal

Perennial gridlocks on the Dhaka-Rangpur highway are expected to subside once the 190-kilometre section of the highway is upgraded into four lanes along with a new cloverleaf interchange built in Hatikumrul, similar to the one constructed on Mawa-Bhanga expressway in Bhanga upazila.

Once completed, this will open new horizons in the connectivity of 22 districts of North Bengal, benefiting thousands of commuters and motorists. Along with that, a new investment environment will be created in this region, said stakeholders.

Hatikumrul, a crucial intersection for North Bengal-bound vehicles, has become a bottleneck on the highway. Enduring hour-long gridlocks at this point is unavoidable due to heavy traffic, according to vehicle drivers and passengers.

Besides, the poor road connectivity is also hampering investment in North Bengal and Bangladesh's trade with India and Nepal through the Burimari and Banglabandha ports, said traders.

To resolve these issues, the Dhaka-Rangpur highway, as well as the Hatikumrul intersection, is being developed under the SASEC Road Connectivity Project 2, funded by the Asian Development Bank.

Md Waliur Rahman, director of the SASEC Road Connectivity Project 2, said the project will make communication and life easier for the people of the north. This is a unique milestone in the road transport sector.

The Road Transport and Highways Division is implementing the project at a cost of Tk16,662 crore. The construction of the intersection, which will cost Tk743.28 crore, is one of 13 packages of the project. 

The intersection package will include the construction of a modified cloverleaf intersection, an operations and maintenance building and a highway service area. The service area will serve as a temporary resting facility for long-haul vehicle drivers.

China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Company Limited is in charge of building the intersection under an agreement signed in 2021. The contractor is also responsible for six years of maintenance of the infrastructure.

Already 100 acres of land have been acquired for the construction of the intersection, said project officials. 

The construction work has been facing some challenges as prices of construction materials (rod, cement) soared due to the Russia-Ukraine war. The work, however, is continuing, said officials of the Road Transport and Highways Division.

Around 68% of work on the Elenga-Hatikumrul-Rangpur highway is completed but the work on the Hatikumrul intersection, considered a gateway to northern districts, is moving at a slower pace, with only 8% completed so far, said project officials.

Mahbubur Rahman, manager of the Hatikumrul intersection project, said the work was scheduled to be completed by December 2023 but due to a delay in land acquisition, the work will end in December 2025.

A source from the Road Transport and Highways Division told The Business Standard that 16 districts of the Rajshahi and Rangpur Divisions and six other districts of the Khulna Division in the country use the Hatikumrul junction for the transportation of people and goods.

At least 28,000 vehicles pass through the Bangabandhu Bridge over the River Jamuna on average every day. Hatikumrul intersection is about 20 km to the west of the bridge. 

Rakibul Islam, a private employee of Bogura, told TBS, "The Hatikumrul intersection is a congestion-making factory. Gridlocks here are unbearable, especially during Eid. The new revamped intersection will be a blessing for northern people." 

Sohan Sheikh, who has been driving buses on the Dhaka-Bogra route for the past 15 years, said, "There are several restaurants at the Hatikumrul roundabout that are responsible for worsening the congestion. If the intersection is constructed here, the road will be clear. Then there will be no traffic congestion. This is very important."

Matin Sarkar, General Secretary of Bogura District Truck, Lorry and Covered Van Owners' Association, said hundreds of drivers will get a chance to rest at the new intersection. "If there is a chance for drivers to rest on such a long journey, accidents will be reduced. This is a wonderful initiative of the government," he said.

Mahfuzul Islam Raj, vice president of the Bogura Chamber of Commerce and Industry, believes that the Dhaka-Rangpur highway four-lane development project will bring great changes in the socio-economic development of the region. 

This business leader said, "Because the airport in Bogura is not fully operational, the businessmen of Dhaka do not dare to invest in the northern region. But I believe that such a revolutionary development of the highway can overcome that obstacle. Businessmen will get an investment environment and employment of thousands of people will be created."