One-way movement on Bangabandhu Bridge to tackle traffic pressure

The authorities have introduced a temporary one-way vehicular movement system on the Bangabandhu Bridge, in an effort to mitigate the escalating traffic pressure on the Dhaka-Tangail-Bangabandhu Bridge highway.

According to the police, the pressure of vehicles started to rise on the highway on Monday afternoon and exacerbated at night. The situation worsened when a number of vehicles broke down on the bridge and on the eastern end of the approach road.

Hundreds of vehicles found themselves stranded on the eastern side of the bridge due to the breakdowns and heavy pressure of vehicles.

During a spot visit, long queues of vehicles were seen in the Pouli area of Kalihati upazila in Tangail. They were moving at a snail's pace.

Abdul Ahad, a microbus driver from Savar, said he started from Savar around 4:00 am on Tuesday and had to remain stuck for two hours in Baipail of Savar and Chandra of Gazipur. Now, he was stuck again in Tangail.

Alamgir Ashraf, the officer-in-charge (OC) of Bangabandhu Bridge east police station, said vehicles bound for the northern region are being channeled through both lanes of the bridge from 8:00 am in the morning. The one-way system effectively mitigated the traffic gridlock.

According to the Bangabandhu Bridge toll plaza, around 15,000 to 18,000 vehicles use the bridge a day, but the number rose to 43,427 vehicles during the last 24 hours since 12:00 am on Sunday.