After eight long years of waiting, Chattogram residents finally received their first elevated expressway, built to ensure a smooth connection from the city to the airport. The 16-kilometre structure was inaugurated in early 2025 and was touted as the “highway to traffic-free Chattogram.”
A feasibility study conducted before construction projected that by 2025, an average of 66,323 vehicles would use the expressway daily. But 10 months after the inauguration, the daily average stands at only 8,119 vehicles. As a result, city roads remain as congested as before, while the expressway stays largely empty.
According to the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA), 24,35,788 vehicles used the expressway in its first 10 months. The toll revenue collected stands at Tk16.99 crore, with monthly earnings ranging from Tk1.37 crore to Tk1.93 crore.
The original design proposed 15 ramps to allow easy access from various parts of the city. But only one ramp was built initially, as six were scrapped due to cost and land complications. Of the remaining eight, five have been completed, and CDA project director Mahfuzur Rahman said these would soon be opened.
Drivers say accessing the expressway often requires long detours. Residents of Agrabad, AK Khan and Lalkhan Bazar noted, “The roundabout routes to reach the ramp waste more time than using the surface roads.”
Following complaints of high tolls, the government reduced fees and allowed motorcycles and CNG-run auto-rickshaws. Still, usage has not increased significantly. Many drivers are unsure about ramp locations and some mistakenly believe tolls must be paid twice. Lack of signboards and proper directions is contributing to confusion. Experts say improving public awareness is essential to raise usage.
Approved in 2017 with an initial budget of Tk3,250 crore, the project’s cost rose to around Tk4,300 crore due to delays, land acquisition issues and design revisions. Although the expressway was meant to be completed in four years, it took nearly eight, raising financial and public trust concerns.
City planner engineer Subash Barua said, “The expressway would only be effective once all ramps are operational and traffic management improves.” He added that feasibility studies often overestimate vehicle numbers to secure approval.
CDA’s deputy chief urban planner, Engineer Abu Isa Ansari, told Times of Bangladesh that the project is not fully implemented yet and better results will follow once all components are complete. He also stated that CCTV cameras will be installed to enhance safety on the expressway.
For the Shaheed Wasim Akram Elevated Expressway, the next few months will be crucial. If remaining ramps open on time, signage improves and traffic management is streamlined, the expressway may still fulfil its promise. Until then, it remains a symbol of Chattogram’s stubborn traffic woes, an empty flyover stretching over a city stuck in the same old traffic jams.
