18km traffic gridlock paralysed Dhaka–Tangail Highway, commuters stuck

A massive 18-kilometre traffic congestion has paralysed the Dhaka–Tangail Highway, particularly along the Jamuna Bridge link road, causing severe suffering for passengers due to vehicle breakdowns and excessive traffic pressure.

The tailback stretched from the Jamuna Bridge toll plaza to Pouli area, starting from Friday night (June 5), leaving thousands of vehicles stranded on both sides of the highway.

According to Jamuna Bridge authorities, a total of 40,580 vehicles crossed the bridge in the 24 hours from Thursday midnight to Friday midnight, generating toll revenue of Tk 31.42 crore.

Of these, 15,448 vehicles travelled towards the northern region, while 25,132 vehicles moved towards Dhaka, reflecting the heavy directional imbalance contributing to traffic pressure.

Jamuna Bridge Site Office Executive Engineer Syed Riaz Uddin said the congestion was triggered by a combination of high vehicle volume and multiple breakdowns of vehicles on the bridge and its approach roads during nighttime.

He added that the bridge is operating through 18 toll booths—nine on each side—with an additional two booths dedicated for motorcycle crossings.

“Traffic movement is expected to normalize gradually as the day progresses,” he said.

Md. Juel Mia, officer-in-charge (OC) of Elenga Highway Police Outpost, confirmed that there is heavy pressure of vehicles on the highway and assured that efforts are underway to restore normal traffic flow as quickly as possible.

Commuters, however, continued to face severe hardship due to prolonged delays and slow movement along the congested stretch.