Plan to reduce way by 10 km

The journey from the district to Bogra and Dhaka will be reduced by 10 km when the reconstruction of the Gaibandha-Gobindaganj road is complete, bringing relief to the people of five upazilas of the district.

Travellers have to cross an additional 10 km through Palashbari and spend more money to go to Bogra and Dhaka, and vehicles bound for Bogra or Dhaka need to spend additional fuel cost and time.

Commuters will need to spend less money and time to get to their destinations and the transport owners will save fuel cost as well as time as the road will reduce the distance to Bogra and Dhaka.

The plan for construction of the 29-km-long Gaibandha-Gobindaganj road at a cost of Tk 99.73 crore was approved at the meeting of the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) on August 20.

Earlier, Roads and Highways Department (RHD) constructed the road, but there was a major problem in building a bridge over the river Katakhali at Borodaha, which was a long-felt demand of the local people.

The government took up construction of Barodaha bridge in1997, but the work was later suspended for want of funds and change in the river's course. Moreover, erosion on both sides widened the river, leaving a section of the bridge in the middle.

District RHD Executive Engineer Asaduzzaman said construction of the bridge could not be started for want of adequate funds for long 16 years.

After allocation of funds, the work of the 253.5-metre-long bridge was restarted in 2013 and completed in 2015, spending Tk 22 crore. The bridge was formally inaugurated by the prime minister on August 20, 2015, he added.

Although the bridge has opened for vehicular traffic, the road is too narrow to accommodate long-route buses and trucks. So, heavy vehicles are still moving an additional 10 km through Palashbari, which costs extra time and money, Asaduzzaman said, adding that light vehicles are using the road.

Earlier, RHD sent a proposal for widening the 29-km-long road by 18 feet, which was 10 feet to 12 feet wide earlier, and total expenditure was estimated at Tk 99.73 crore. It was placed before ECNEC for approval.

The engineer said the proposal for construction of the 29 km road was approved in the ECNEC meeting on August 14 and the work will start within the next six months.

On completion of the work, people of five upazilas in the district will get relief from an additional 10 km journey while going to Dhaka, Bogra and Rajshahi.