Bangladesh
Bandarban-Keranihat Highway Bandarban connected to national highway
Dhaka, February 1: Bandarban-Keranihat highway widening project has been completed ahead of schedule. Through this, the tourist city of Bandarban is connected to the national highway. The 20 Engineer Construction Battalion of the Army has completed the project at a cost of Tk 266 crore 56 lakh. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will officially inaugurate the road soon.
Keranihat-Bandarban road is the only means of transportation for the residents of Ruma, Thanchi, Rowangchari and Sadar upazilas of Bandarban. Being a tourist city, hundreds of local and foreign tourists use the road every day. The road was much narrower than necessary with ups and downs. Besides, during the rainy season, various obstacles were created in the traffic, including waterlogging. As a result, accidents almost happened. However, now that the road is wider, the risk of traveling through the road is reduced as well as the time.
Sources related to the project said that on October 23, 2018, the Keranihat-Bandarban National Highway widening project was approved by Ekne. Under the supervision of the Directorate of Roads and Highways, Bangladesh Army has been entrusted with the task of implementing the project to complete the project quickly. The tireless efforts of the 20 Engineers Construction Battalion under the 34 Engineer Construction Brigade of the Army Corps of Engineers completed the project before the deadline.
Under the project, 21 bridges, 15 culverts, 21 kilometers of drainage infrastructure, and road widening works have been completed maintaining the quality of work, said the project officials.
Locals and tourists are very excited to see this very beautiful and wide new road. Earlier, this road was broken in many places and had high and low curves. But now this road has become much wider.
Keranihat-Bandarban National Highway Development Project Officer (20 Engineer Construction Battalion) Major Md. Shah Sadman Rahman said that the main objective of the project implementation was to upgrade the road to highway status by reconstructing the existing narrow, old and dilapidated bridges and culverts in a safe, sustainable and cost-effective manner. Establishing cost-effective road transport system.
