Rain triggers 45-kilometre traffic congestion on Dhaka-Tangail-Jamuna Bridge highway

A nearly 45-kilometre traffic gridlock has formed on the Dhaka-Tangail-Jamuna Bridge highway due to excessive vehicle pressure, overnight rain and multiple road accidents on the bridge, causing severe suffering for Eid holiday travellers.

The congestion began late Tuesday night and intensified into Wednesday morning after several vehicles broke down and were involved in accidents on the Jamuna Bridge. Authorities temporarily suspended toll collection for a period to remove the damaged vehicles using wreckers, further worsening the tailback.

Since around 8:00am, vehicles have been moving slowly along the highway, with congestion stretching from the eastern end of the Jamuna Bridge through Elenga, Rabna Bypass, Nagarbari and Korotia areas.

Police and bridge authorities said heavy rain and storms since late night had already created long queues of vehicles before the accidents occurred. The situation deteriorated further as traffic movement slowed significantly on the bridge, while vehicle pressure also increased in Gazipur’s Chandra area.

Jamuna Bridge Site Office Executive Engineer Syed Riaz Uddin said all 18 toll booths on both ends of the bridge are operating to manage the heavy flow of vehicles, including two dedicated booths for motorcycles.

Tangail Traffic Inspector Anisur Rahman said excessive vehicle pressure, accidents on the bridge and continuous rainfall contributed to the traffic congestion. He added that district police have divided the highway into four sectors to better manage traffic and ease the suffering of homebound passengers ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.

Despite ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies, thousands of travellers remained stranded for hours on one of the country’s busiest highways during the peak Eid travel rush.