The Karwan Bazar ramp of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway, in front of the Film Development Corporation (FDC), is set to open this March.

Upon its opening, commuters will be able to directly access vehicles from the Airport to Karwan Bazar rail crossing, increasing southbound traffic.

The construction work is underway on the elevated expressway, spanning 46.73kilometres, including ramps, from the north to the south of Dhaka city.

The expressway, which facilitates uninterrupted travel, opened a section from the Airport to Farmgate on 2 September last year.

Now, the project’s overall progress has reached 72.51%.

Md Monjur Hossain, secretary, Bridges Division, Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, told the Daily Sun, “We are planning to open the ramp for vehicle movement in the first or second week of March. Preparations are underway, especially regarding traffic management, and we will proceed with the opening after assessing the situation.”

The initiative, undertaken by the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, aims to improve traffic flow from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to various destinations, including Karwan Bazar.

Speaking to the Daily Sun, AHMS Akhtar, project director of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway, said, “The construction of the ramp is almost complete. We may open it after a visit and final inspection, although the final date for its operation has not been determined yet.”

The elevated expressway, with a main length of 19.73 kilometres, extends from Kawla to Farmgate.

Currently, approximately 11 kilometres of the route are operational. The remaining construction work is progressing, including the completion of the Kawan Bazar ramp and other associated tasks such as pavement management and signage.

Regarding traffic management, Md Hadiuzzaman, a transport expert and civil engineering department professor at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), said, “Controlling non-motorised vehicle movement is crucial. Ramp metering was planned but not yet implemented. If implemented, it could control vehicles from the expressway during traffic congestion.”

“Hence, merely opening the ramp won’t suffice; simultaneous focus on proper traffic management is necessary,” he added.

Originally slated for completion in 2016, the project has faced delays due to changes in road layouts, land acquisition complexities, and financial constraints.

The construction of the expressway began in June 2011 through a government-private partnership.

However, design changes, land acquisition issues, and financial complications caused delays five times.

After laying the foundation stone of the project, the first deadline to complete the construction of the flyover was 2017, then further extended to 2022.

Currently, the project, delayed for the fourth time, was expected to be completed by June 2023.

Partial operation began in September 2023, but the project remains incomplete.

The latest deadline (5th) for its entirety is now June 2024. Initially, the construction of the expressway was estimated to cost Tk8,703 crore.

The project’s total cost has escalated from TK8,703 crore in 2013 to TK13,857 crore presently.

According to the agreement, investors will cover 73% of the construction cost, while the Bangladesh government will cover the remaining 27%.

In the project, 73% of the investment comes from private entities, with the remaining 27% provided by the Bangladesh government.

The project, governed by a 25-year agreement with the private investors, will involve toll collection for 21 years, after which ownership will transfer to the government entirely.

Under First Dhaka Elevated Expressway (FDEE) Company Ltd, the shareholders in the project are Italian Thai Development Public Company Ltd (Thailand) with a 51% stake, China Shandong International Economic and Technical Co-operation Group (CSI) with 34%, and Sinohydro Corporation Ltd with 15%.