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Dhaka Bypass Expressway to Partially Open on May 1
The 48-kilometre Dhaka Bypass Expressway is set to partially open on May 1, easing travel for buses, trucks, and other vehicles traveling from northern and western regions to the southern and eastern parts of the country.
"The full expressway will open to traffic in July next year, with 68% of the construction already completed. The remaining work is progressing rapidly," said Syed Aslam Ali, Project Director of the Dhaka Bypass Development Project.
The expressway will initially open a 20-kilometre stretch from Bhogla to Purbachal, while the remaining 28 km is still under development. In a bid to ease travel during Eid-ul-Fitr, the 20-kilometre section has been temporarily opened for public use.
Ali explained that the four-lane expressway is a crucial corridor linking the manufacturing hubs in northern Dhaka with the shipping port in Chattogram. However, delays in land acquisition pushed back the original timeline by one year. An interchange with modern facilities will also be built for better access to and from Purbachal.
The toll fees for using the expressway will range from Tk 700-800 for cars and Tk 1,400-1,500 for trucks, covering the stretch from Bhogla to Madanpur.
The expressway is being constructed using semi-rigid pavement technology, which ensures greater durability compared to traditional asphalt roads and reduces long-term maintenance costs. Development began in 2021, with the full opening scheduled for July 2025.
This project, valued at Tk 3,400 crore, is being developed under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) acting as the financial adviser. The consortium behind the project includes Sichuan Road and Bridge (Group) Corporation Limited (SRBG), Shamim Enterprise (Pvt.) Limited (SEL), and UDC Construction Limited (UDC). SRBG holds a 70% share, while SEL and UDC share the remaining 30%.
The expressway will feature six new bridges, eight overpasses, 46 culverts, and pedestrian overpasses. It will also integrate with the ongoing SASEC road connectivity project, further enhancing regional connectivity.
Once completed, the bypass will significantly reduce travel time, cutting the current two-hour journey from North Bengal to Chattogram and Sylhet down to just 30 minutes.