Drivers and commuters are facing severe hardship due to numerous potholes and craters along a 2km stretch of the Barami-Singhasree road in Gazipur's Sreepur upazila.
The bitumen surface has peeled off, exposing bricks and sub-base materials. During rainfall, water accumulates in the potholes, making the road muddy and hazardous for both vehicles and pedestrians.
Heavy and light vehicles are forced to move slowly, causing traffic congestion and damaging vehicle suspensions and other mechanical parts. Drivers say visibility at night makes the situation even more dangerous, with potholes often leading to minor and major accidents.
The damaged section stretches from Barami in Sreepur to the Singhasree Bridge over the Shitalakshya River.
As the bridge is toll-free, the road has become a popular route for long-distance heavy vehicles, accelerating its deterioration.
Thousands of commuters from Pakundia in Kishoreganj, Monohardi in Narsingdi, and Kapasia and Sreepur in Gazipur use the road daily to travel to Gazipur and Dhaka. It also serves as a key transport route for residents of Tok, Singhasree, Rayed and Barishab unions in Kapasia.
Passengers and drivers said trucks and freight vehicles travelling from Sylhet, Bhairab and other regions frequently use the road as a bypass because of the toll-free bridge, increasing pressure on the road.
Students of Barami Degree College, Jewel Rana and Maria Akhter, said they fear accidents while travelling by CNG-run autorickshaw because of the damaged road.
Students of Sreepur Government College, Tanjila Akhter and Sumaiya, said they regularly get stuck in traffic jams caused by the potholes and often fail to reach college on time.
Babul Mia, a resident of Singhasree and a garment factory supervisor in Maona, said his daily commute has doubled because he must ride slowly over the damaged road.
CNG driver Kafil Uddin said frequent repairs have become unavoidable as the road damages vehicles almost every week.
"If the road is not repaired soon, vehicles will stop using it altogether," he said.
Autorickshaw driver Abu Musa said the risk of accidents increases during rain when potholes become submerged.
"Passengers are reluctant to travel on this road because of safety concerns," he said.
Local residents Rahim Uddin and Hafizul Islam said the road is an important link for people in Kapasia, Sreepur, Pakundia and Monohardi, but repeated demands for repairs have gone unanswered.
Traders Rafiqul Islam and Nurul Amin said poor road conditions have increased transport costs and delayed the movement of goods, affecting businesses.
They urged the authorities to repair the road without delay and take measures to regulate the movement of heavy vehicles.
Sreepur Upazila Engineer Touhid Ahmed of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) said a proposal has already been submitted to widen and repair the road.
"We hope work will begin after the necessary administrative and procurement processes are completed," he said.