The 48-kilometre Dhaka Bypass Expressway is set to open partially on May 1, aiming to improve traffic flow for buses, trucks, and other vehicles traveling between the northern and western regions and the southern and eastern parts of the country.
Syed Aslam Ali, project director of the Dhaka Bypass Development Project, informed BSS that the entire expressway will be fully operational by July next year, as 68 percent of the development work has been completed. The remaining work is progressing swiftly.
Currently, 20 km of the expressway, from Bhogla to Purbachal, has been completed, while 28 km is under construction. Ali mentioned that the 20 km stretch will be temporarily opened for traffic during Eid-ul-Fitr to facilitate smoother travel.
The four-lane bypass expressway is a key corridor for freight movement, connecting the manufacturing hub in northern Dhaka with the Chattogram port in the south. However, the project has faced a one-year delay due to land acquisition issues. The project also plans to construct an interchange with modern facilities for entering and exiting Purbachal.
The toll for vehicles using the expressway from Bhogla to Madanpur will be approximately Tk 1,400-1,500 for trucks and Tk 700-800 for cars.
The bypass expressway is being built using semi-rigid pavement technology, which will make it more durable and reduce maintenance costs.
The project, which began in 2021, was initially scheduled to be completed by July 2025. It is being developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model with an estimated cost of Tk 3,400 crore, with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) serving as the financial advisor.
The project involves significant infrastructure upgrades, including six new bridges, eight overpasses, and 49 culverts. Once completed, travel time from North Bengal to Chattogram and Sylhet will be reduced from two hours to just half an hour.
Source: BSS
Bd-pratidin English/FNC
