Dhaka Bypass Expressway scheduled for partial inauguration on May 1

A 48-kilometre stretch of the Dhaka Bypass Expressway is set to partially open on May 1 to improve vehicle movement—particularly for buses, trucks, and other transport—from the northern and western regions to the south and east of the country.

Project Director of the Dhaka Bypass Development Project, Syed Aslam Ali, informed BSS that 68 percent of the construction work has been completed, with full operation expected by July next year. To ease Eid-ul-Fitr travel, 20 km of the expressway—from Bhogla to Purbachal—has been temporarily opened, while work continues on the remaining 28 km.

The four-lane expressway is designed as a strategic freight corridor, linking northern Dhaka’s manufacturing hubs with Chattogram’s port in the south. Although development was delayed for a year due to land acquisition issues, Ali said construction is now progressing rapidly, including a modern interchange to facilitate access to Purbachal.

Vehicles using the bypass between Bhogla and Madanpur will pay approximately Tk. 1400–1500 for trucks and Tk. 700–800 for cars.

Constructed with semi-rigid pavement technology—eliminating the use of bricks—the road is expected to be more durable and cost-effective than traditional asphalt surfaces. Launched in 2021, the project is scheduled to be fully operational by July 2025.

Developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model with an estimated cost of Tk. 3,400 crore, the project is financially advised by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). It is being implemented by a consortium comprising Sichuan Road and Bridge Group (SRBG), Shamim Enterprise Pvt. Ltd., and UDC Construction Ltd., with SRBG holding a 70% stake.

According to Bangladesh Infrastructure Finance Fund Limited (BIFFL), the expressway will feature six new bridges, eight overpasses, 49 new culverts, 12 new channels, and eight pedestrian crossings. It will also link with the ongoing SASEC road connectivity project.

Once fully operational, the expressway will allow direct travel from North Bengal to Chattogram and Sylhet without entering Dhaka city, reducing travel time from two hours to just 30 minutes. The project includes the transformation of the current two-lane road into a four-lane expressway with additional service lanes on both sides.