Tk1,183cr highway project to create new economic corridor thru Karnaphuli Tunnel
It will reduce Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar distance by 40km, save 1 hour
Highlights:
- Ecnec approves Tk1,183cr project to upgrade PAB-Toitong regional highway
- Project aims to improve connectivity between Chattogram and Cox's Bazar
- Upgraded highway to create new economic corridor in southern Chattogram
- Route to provide shorter connection to Cox's Bazar, Matarbari via Karnaphuli Tunnel.
- Travel distance between Chattogram and Cox's Bazar to be reduced by 40km
- Travel time expected to decrease by about one hour
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council has approved a Tk1,183 crore project to upgrade the PAB-Toitong regional highway, a long-awaited initiative expected to significantly improve connectivity between Chattogram and Cox's Bazar while creating a new economic corridor in southern Chattogram.
The project, titled "Upgrading the PAB-Toitong regional highway to proper standards and width," was approved at an Ecnec meeting on 9 June with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in the chair.
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According to the Roads and Highways Department, the highway will provide a shorter alternative route from the port city to the tourist city and Matarbari through the Karnaphuli Tunnel.
Once completed, the project will reduce the road distance between Chattogram and Cox's Bazar by nearly 40 kilometres and cut travel time by nearly one hour.
Officials said the new route will also improve access to the Matarbari Deep Sea Port, one of Bangladesh's most important infrastructure projects, and strengthen links with economic zones and industrial hubs planned in the region.
The four-year project is scheduled to begin on 1 July 2026 and is expected to be completed by June 2030. Following Ecnec approval, the government will now issue the formal order, appoint a project director and initiate the tender process.
Under the project, a 58.2-kilometre stretch of road from Kalabibir Dighi in Anwara to Matamuhuri (Eidmoni) in Cox's Bazar will be upgraded and widened. Road sections currently measuring 18 feet in width will be expanded to 34 feet, allowing smoother traffic movement and reducing accident risks.
Land acquisition remains one of the project's major challenges. Of the total project cost, Tk341 crore has been earmarked for land acquisition, particularly in areas such as Banshkhali where road curves require widening. The remaining funds will be spent on road construction and related infrastructure development.
Officials involved with the project said cargo transport from Dhaka to the Matarbari Deep Sea Port currently relies on a route that passes through the Karnaphuli Tunnel, Anwara, Shikalbaha Y-Junction, Patiya Bypass, Gachbaria, Chakaria, and Badarkhali before reaching Matarbari.
The existing route increases both transport costs and travel time. Once the new highway is operational, vehicles will be able to travel directly from the Karnaphuli Tunnel through Kalabibir Dighi, Banshkhali, Toitong, Pekua, and Matamuhuri to reach Badarkhali and Matarbari, reducing the journey by 40 to 45 kilometres and saving at least one hour.
Similarly, vehicles travelling to Cox's Bazar will be able to use the Kalabibir Dighi-Banshkhali-Toitong-Pekua-Eidmoni-Chakaria route, reducing travel distance by about 30 kilometres and cutting travel time by around 45 minutes.
Mohammad Musa, president of the Chattogram Divisional Regional Committee of the Bangladesh Road Transport Association, told TBS, "We welcome this project. It has been one of our longstanding demands. The project will enable the Karnaphuli Tunnel to realise its full potential. Residents of southern Chattogram will benefit significantly from it."
If tourist vehicles travelling from Dhaka to Cox's Bazar use the tunnel route instead of entering Chattogram city, it will help reduce traffic congestion in the city while also saving travel time, he added.
Abul Kashem, a fish and salt trader from Banshkhali, told this newspaper, "The project will greatly improve transportation and connectivity. We expect it to boost business and trade in the region."
At present, it takes around two to two and a half hours to travel from Banshkhali to Chattogram city. Once this road is completed, they will be able to reach the city in less than an hour, he added.
SM Moin Uddin Azad, a banker and member of the Anwara Professionals Council, told TBS that the regional highway will establish a strong economic corridor from Anwara to Cox's Bazar and unlock the tunnel's true potential.
He said that improved connectivity would make industrial zones more attractive to investors and accelerate industrialisation in the region.
Pintu Chakma, executive engineer of the Chattogram South Road Division, described the project as one of the most anticipated infrastructure initiatives in southern Chattogram.
He said the highway would connect the Karnaphuli Tunnel, Matarbari Deep Sea Port, economic zones and emerging industrial centres through a single transport network, creating new opportunities for investment, employment and economic growth across southern Chattogram and Cox's Bazar.
