A section of the Dhaka Bypass Expressway, Bangladesh’s first fully access-controlled expressway financed and built by a Chinese-led joint venture, opened to motorists toll-free from 20 to 24 October to facilitate travel during the Durga Puja holidays.
According to the project company, the toll-free arrangement covers the Purbachal–Bhulta section of the expressway. The project has recently completed a key connecting section, allowing uninterrupted traffic flow along the first 35 kilometres of the expressway’s main carriageway.
The company said the initiative aimed to ease traffic congestion during the festive period and facilitate travel for people returning to their hometowns and visiting relatives.
Durga Puja is one of the most important religious festivals for Hindus in Bangladesh, during which people traditionally visit relatives and take part in religious celebrations, leading to increased travel demand.
The 48-kilometre Dhaka Bypass Expressway is being developed and operated by a joint venture led by China’s Sichuan Road & Bridge Group Co Ltd, a subsidiary of Shudao Investment Group, alongside two Bangladeshi companies.
It is Bangladesh’s first road project implemented under the public-private partnership (PPP) framework. Linking several major national highways, the expressway is expected to ease traffic congestion around Dhaka and improve regional transport connectivity and logistics efficiency upon completion.
