Road Transport and Bridges Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam has said that the government has taken a plan to upgrade the Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar Highway into a four-lane highway.

He made the statement on Thursday while responding to a question in parliament.

The minister said a 26.21-kilometre section of the highway has already been approved under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative as part of Highway Improvement Phase One. The project is expected to be completed by 2029.

He added that the approved section includes a 2.6-kilometre flyover, while feasibility studies are currently underway for the remaining approximately 48 kilometres. Discussions are ongoing with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) regarding financing for the project.

He expressed optimism that a decision on upgrading the remaining part of the highway to four lanes would be taken soon.

The minister acknowledged that the highway is prone to accidents, though several measures have already been taken in high-risk areas to improve safety.

The demand to upgrade the Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar highway to four lanes has long been raised due to its accident-prone nature. The 159-kilometre route has undergone multiple feasibility studies over the years.

Among them, a study conducted between 2013 and 2015 by a Swedish consulting firm estimated the project cost at around Tk10,000 crore.