Home ›› 10 Mar 2022 ›› Front
The road transport and bridges ministry has sought Tk 262 crore more and another four years to implement the much-awaited Dhaka-Ashulia elevated expressway project.
The project’s current estimated cost is Tk 17,163.87 crore. Of this, China will provide Tk 9,669 crore and Tk 7,494 crore will come from the government exchequer. The project was supposed to be completed by June this year.
Bangladesh Bridge Authority had sent the revised project proposal to the Planning Commission for the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council’s approval, a senior planning ministry official told The Business Post.
He said construction costs of ramps, a two-lane flyover in Nabinagar, and a two-lane bridge would increase by Tk 52 crore, Tk 41.93 crore, and Tk 19.63 crore respectively.
The official further said costs of drainage, overpasses, flyovers, utilities, and toll plazas would go up by Tk 64 crore.
The 24km elevated expressway will connect Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and Nabinagar junction via Abdullahpur-Ashulia Bypass and Chandra junction via EPZ.
Once the project is implemented, road communication between Dhaka and 30 northern districts will be smoother and traffic congestions will ease. Besides, traffic jams in Abdullahpur-Ashulia-Baipail-Chandra areas will ease.
The expressway will also connect southern and eastern districts, linking important commercial and business areas, including Gazipur and Ashulia.
The government started the project in 2011, around the same time as the Padma Bridge, and 2015 was the first deadline. However, construction did not start for several years. Over 4,000 workers were engaged in construction, even amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The contractor will get 25 years, including three and a half years of the construction period, to collect tolls from the expressway. 80,000 vehicles are expected to use the overhead road daily.
First Dhaka Elevated Expressway (FDEE) Company is implementing the project. Italian-Thai Development Public Company has a 51 per cent stake in FDEE while China Shandong International Economic and Technical Co-operation Group owns 34 per cent and Sinohydro 15 per cent.
