The work of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway is progressing despite coronavirus pandemic slows everything. Before the virus outbreak, construction of more than half of the expressway phase has already been completed with the government targeting to open it for public by March 2022.
The 46.73km expressway will link Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and the Dhaka-Chattroram Highway, thus extending the road connection to Chattogram’s Kutubkhali via Kuril, Banani, Mohakhali, Tejgaon, Moghbazar, Kamalapur, Sayedabad, and Jatrabari in the capital.
The Italian-Thai Development Public Company Ltd and two Chinese companies -- China Shandong International Economic and Technical Corporation Group and Sino Hydro Corporation – are implementing the public private partnership (PPP) project with a cost of Tk 8940 crore. Work on the mega project began in 2011.
Tolls have been fixed at different rates for different types of vehicles to travel on the expressway. Cars and microbuses will be charged Tk 125 to travel from the airport to Kutubkhali. The minimum toll for use of the expressway will be Tk 100. Buses will pay Tk 200-250 while trucks will be charged between Tk 400 and Tk 500.
In September last year, the government also approved some Tk 18.74 crore for a project aiming at constructing multi-storey buildings at Uttra to rehabilitate affected landowners due to the expressway project.