US$3 billion needed for Bangladesh highway widening project

External funding will be needed to help pay for the Faridpur-Kuakata highway widening project in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Government plans to widen the 236km road to boost capacity. At present the highway has no service lanes and suffers heavy congestion as well as having safety issues. The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has estimated the project’s cost to be Tk331.25 billion (US$3.03 billion). To help pay for the work, the RHD may solicit a foreign loan of $2.57 billion to fund the project in south-central Bangladesh.

The RHD has completed a preliminary feasibility study and detailed design for the Faridpur-Barishal-Kuakata highway under the Priority Road Project with technical assistance from the Asian Development Bank. The project will likely begin during the financial year 2024/25.

In addition, Bangladesh has received a credit from the World Bank towards the cost of the Accelerating Transport and Trade Connectivity in Eastern South Asia (ACCESS) Program – Bangladesh Phase 1. The RHD will implement the Sylhet-Charkhai-Sheola Highway Improvement component under the project. To begin the implementation, RHD intends to hire a consulting service that includes construction supervision and project management of 43km of the Sylhet-Charkhai-Sheola Highway. Expression of Interest must be delivered on March 27, 2024.