There was a 40km-long tailback on Dhaka-Tangail highway yesterday due to ongoing road expansion work, traffic bottlenecks, poor road condition, and high number of vehicles during the weekend.

Thousands of passengers suffered for hours in standstill traffic since early yesterday. The tailback stretched from the east end of the Bangabandhu Bridge to Natiapara, said passengers and transport workers. 

Saiful Islam, passenger of a bus heading for Bogra, said his bus took three hours to cover 5km from Rabna bypass to Elenga. "It is not today only, we have been enduring regular traffic congestion on this highway," he added. 

Trucker Dulal Hossain said his vehicle was stuck at Rasulpur for two hours. "Big potholes on the road as well as work on the road expansion are the reasons behind the regular traffic jam on this highway," he said.

Mohammad Jakir Hossain, a traffic warden on duty at Rabna bypass, said the high number of vehicles during weekends and holidays worsen the problems created by potholes and road work.

"Normally 10,000 to 12,000 vehicles travel on this highway but at least 16,000 vehicles were on the highway this weekend," he explained.