Road caves in at Dholaikhal after suspected Wasa pipe leak, traffic suspended
Authorities plan to reopen one side of the road to traffic while repair work continues on the other side in phases.
A section of road in Dhaka's Dholaikhal area has collapsed after soil beneath it was eroded by a suspected leak in a Dhaka Wasa water pipeline, forcing authorities to suspend traffic through the affected stretch.
According to local residents, part of the road beside the median suddenly caved in during heavy rainfall yesterday (12 July), creating a large crater.
The surrounding area later also gave way, prompting police to cordon off the site with barricades and halt vehicular movement to prevent accidents.
Officials from the Dhaka South City Corporation inspected the site today (13 July) and began repair work.
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Dhaka South Sub-Assistant Engineer Md Tarek Hossain, who is overseeing the repairs, told The Business Standard that the collapse occurred after soil beneath the road was washed away, causing a section of the carriageway to sink.
Preliminary findings suggest that a leak in a 20- to 30-year-old Wasa water pipeline gradually eroded the soil over a long period, creating a void beneath the road before it eventually collapsed, he said.
He added that the main repair work is expected to take two to three days, while the entire project, including concrete curing, may require around 10 days before the road is fully reopened to traffic.
For now, the road remains closed for safety reasons. However, to minimise public inconvenience, authorities plan to reopen one side of the road to traffic while repair work continues on the other side in phases.
