Shawdesh Desk: The Asian Development Bank would fund projects for extending four highways into four lanes under roads and highways department.

The highways — Dhaka-Sylhet, Rangpur-Banglabandha, Rangpur-Burimari and Faridpur-Barishal — currently have two lanes which would be expanded to four.

Besides, service lanes would also be constructed with the highways for separating slow moving vehicles, said a press release issued by road transport and bridges ministry.

In a courtesy meeting held at the road ministry on Wednesday, ADB country director Manmohan Parkash told road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader that they had taken the initiative following a request of prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Manmohan also said that they had already conducted feasibility studies on Rangpur-Burimari and Faridpur-Barishal highways.

Currently construction work of Joydebpur-Chandra-Tangail-Elenga and Hatikumrul-Rangpur highways and widening of Cox’s Bazar-Ukhiya-Teknaf highway were going on under ADB fund.