Hasina to inaugurate Dhaka-Bhanga Expressway Thursday

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will formally inaugurate the Dhaka-Bhanga Expressway, the first of its kind in Bangladesh, on Thursday via a video conference.

The expressway has separate lanes for different vehicles, flyovers to avoid crossing, underpass and other modern traffic facilities.

The expressway from Jatrabari, Dhaka to Bhanga, Faridpur  via Mawa will then open to public.

It was designed with all the facilities of a modern highway to ensure that the people can fully utilise the Padma Bridge, the biggest infrastructure project in the country, once it is constructed.

Two parts of the expressway will be connected through the Padma Bridge. On Tuesday, the 26th span was installed for the four-kilometre long main part of the bridge.

Travel to Dhaka from Mawa will take less than an hour once the bridge is constructed, surface communication experts say.

“This highway will be better than some of the highways in Europe. This is the first six-lane expressway in Bangladesh with service lanes on both sides,” said Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader.

The construction of the highway cost Tk 110 billion, according to the minister. It has  44 culverts, 19 underpasses, four big bridges, 25 small bridges, five flyovers, two interchain and four railway overpasses , he added.

“It’s a very beautiful highway. I believe it will look better than some of the highways in Europe. Bangladesh Army was in charge of its construction. The highway is included in the Asian Highway Corridor.”

The 24 Engineer Construction Brigade of Bangladesh Army implemented the project under the supervision of Roads and Highways Department, he said.

There are two service lanes on both sides of the expressway to cater for the local and slow-moving vehicles to ensure that fast-moving vehicles can run smoothly on the road and travel time reduces.

Workers were planting trees and installing flags a day prior to the inauguration of the expressway when bdnews24.com reporter visited its Jatrabari-to-Mawa part.

The 55-km long expressway will ease the travel from Khulna and Barishal divisions to Dhaka.

The project was completed three months before its deadline of Jun 20, said the minister.