Two separate service bridges, measuring 3.71 kilometres in total length, under the Dhaka-Ashulia elevated expressway project have been opened to traffic. Road Transport and Bridges Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam inaugurated the two bridges by cutting a ribbon at 11am on Wednesday. Vehicles began using the bridges afterwards.
No toll will be charged on the two-lane bridges. All types of vehicles will be allowed to use them.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam said the Dhaka-Ashulia elevated expressway was a highly important project. It would make communication between Dhaka and the country’s north-western region smoother while strengthening the road network around the capital.
The minister said the Dhaka-Ashulia elevated expressway was the only project where around 65 to 70 per cent of work on such a large-scale project had already been completed. “We extended the project timeline by three and a half years. Maintaining quality standards, we have completed more work in the last six months than the target set for that period. Another section of the project will be completed by December. The entire project is expected to be completed within the next year,” he said.
Referring to utility relocation as one of the biggest challenges of the project, Sheikh Rabiul Alam said, “Utility shifting was very challenging. I regularly monitored the progress, provided support and advice, and worked to ensure its completion within the shortest possible time.”
Project officials said that once the entire work is completed, the Dhaka-Ashulia elevated expressway will connect Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Abdullahpur on the Nabinagar-Chandra highway, Ashulia, Baipayl and the Dhaka Export Processing Zone. This will create opportunities for faster movement into and out of the capital.
They added that more than four crore people from around 30 districts, including those in the northern region, would benefit from the expressway. Besides making the transport of goods and passengers easier and faster, the project will also help reduce traffic congestion.
Under the project, 24 kilometres of elevated expressway, 10.834 kilometres of ramps, 16.58 kilometres of at-grade roads, a 4.05-kilometre Baipayl trumpet interchange and two bridges with a combined length of 7.42 kilometres will be constructed.
According to project-related information, the physical progress of the project stood at 66 per cent and financial progress at 56.02 per cent as of July 2026.
Dhaka-19 MP Dewan Mohammad Salauddin Babu, Dhaka-18 MP SM Jahangir Alam, Chi Wei, president of contractor China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation, and Project Director Shafiqul Islam, among others, attended the inauguration ceremony.
