A significant infrastructure project aimed at alleviating traffic congestion and enhancing road safety on the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar highway has been initiated, with plans to construct four bypasses and a flyover at critical points along the route.

The project, estimated to cost Tk 80 billion, is expected to address the growing demands of both cargo transportation and tourism in the region.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has committed to providing substantial financial support for this initiative. Under a recently signed loan agreement, JICA will contribute Tk 50 billion towards constructing these infrastructures. The remaining Tk 30 billion, earmarked for land acquisition, will be sourced from the government’s funds.

The project, spanning a 25-kilometer stretch of the highway, will involve widening the Patia Bypass to six lanes, building a bypass at Dohazari Bazar, constructing a 3.5-kilometer flyover at Keranihat in Satkania, and building additional bypasses at Amirabad and Chakaria.

The decision to implement these improvements was driven by the increasing volume of traffic on the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar highway, particularly the heavy cargo vehicles and the influx of tourists heading to Cox’s Bazar.