The Eastern Expressway, the country’s first 14-lane highway, named “Sheikh Hasina Sarani,” will be inaugurated today through a video conference from the Prime Minister’s Ganobhaban residence. This high-speed road connects the east to the west of Dhaka, creating a new linkage with several other regions. It will facilitate seamless travel, remove obstacles, and also alleviate the northern waterlogging issues.
Yet another dream is on the verge of being realized: a new road. Now, we only await the formal inauguration event, which is expected to happen soon. Although much of the work is already completed and the road is open for public use. Today, on Tuesday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will officially inaugurate this new road. The road is named “Sheikh Hasina Sarani” by the Rajuk.
The Eastern Expressway project, which is the first 14-lane highway in the country, includes eight expressways. This project has completed around 100% of its work, with the finishing touches done for the Kuril to Kanchan Sarak Bati section. There are 100-foot-wide canals on both sides of this highway, which are specially designed to prevent waterlogging even during heavy rains. It will also play a significant role in alleviating waterlogging issues in the northern part of Dhaka.
Within the road divider, 33,000 different species of trees have been planted. The road markings have been completed, and it will provide uninterrupted travel from Kuril to Kanchan Sarak. This 12.30-kilometer-long road is the first 14-lane highway in the country. Except for the Balu River, the rest of the road will be an eight-lane highway on both sides, connecting various regions with this road. The presence of two canals on each side makes it significant not only for this region but also for the mitigation of waterlogging in northern Dhaka.
Research on 50 years of rainfall in the country was taken into account while planning this project. Record amounts of rainfall may occur, but there is no concern about waterlogging on this road.
The project director of the Eastern Expressway, M.M. Ahsan Jameel, stated, “We have combined urban development with the eradication of waterlogging in Dhaka, connecting Dhaka with other cities like Chittagong and Sylhet, ensuring harmony in infrastructure development. The environment has also been taken into consideration, as each intersection is equipped to hold 4 lakh gallons of water.”
The Eastern Expressway has taken a long-term view, ensuring that any future road construction will be directly connected through this road. Not only is this a significant road in Bangladesh, but it is also the first of its kind in South Asia. This road will not only facilitate the country’s communication network but will also lay the foundation for more roads and highways in the future.
The road construction work has been done by the 24 Engineering Brigade of the Army, led by Rajuk.
