Bangladesh approves Tk 169 billion elevated expressway project

The government has given the green light to the Tk 169 billion project for the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 24 Oct 2017, 10:39 AM
Updated : 24 Oct 2017, 12:00 PM

The 24km expressway will connect Dhaka's Shahjalal International Airport to Chandra intersection on the highway to Tangail via Ashulia.

The government expects the expressway will help ease traffic congestion on the Abdullahpur-Ashulia-Chandra road, the gateway to as many as 30 districts from the capital Dhaka.

On Tuesday, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council or ECNEC headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved five projects worth Tk 345.67 billion.

It also cleared the Tk 136.1 billion for the first phase of the expansion of the Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

Speaking to the media after the ECNEC meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said the elevated expressway will act as a ‘driver of economic growth’.

"The expressway, once implemented, will bridge Bangladesh's northern and southern parts,” he said.

In addition to the 24km elevated expressway, the construction of a 10.84km ramp and 14.28km double-lane highway is also included in the project.

The project will start this year and is expected to be complete by 2022.

On the Tk 136.1 billion Dhaka airport expansion project, Kamal said Japan will give Tk 112 billion in loans to the project while the government will arrange the rest of the funds.

The three other infrastructure projects cleared on Tuesday are the Tk 21.7 billion project for upgrading the Comilla-Noakhali regional highway to four lanes; Tk 1.25 billion for infrastructure development of Balashi and Bahadurabad ferry landing points and Tk 1.76 billion for the Greater Dhaka Infrastructure Development Project-3.