Two service bridges built under the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway project were opened to traffic on Wednesday, easing travel for residents and helping reduce pressure on Dhaka’s transport network.
The two separate, two-lane service bridges stretch 3.71 kilometres from Dhour intersection to Ashulia. Road Transport and Bridges, Railways and Shipping Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam, MP, formally opened the bridges at a ceremony held on Dhour Bridge.
Dhaka-18 MP S.M. Jahangir Hossain and Dhaka-19 MP Dewan Mohammad Salahuddin attended the event as special guests. Secretary of the Bridges Division and Executive Director of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority Mohammad Abdur Rauf chaired the programme.
Speaking at the event, Sheikh Rabiul Alam said the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway would ensure faster and smoother connectivity between the capital and the country’s northwestern region while improving road communication around Dhaka and helping ease congestion.
He said the project is one of the government’s major ongoing infrastructure initiatives. According to the minister, work on the project had stalled at one point, but implementation gained momentum after the government, under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s leadership, ensured the necessary initiatives and funding.
Around 65–70 percent of the project has already been completed, he said, adding that progress over the past six months has exceeded the targeted level.
The minister identified utility relocation as one of the major challenges in implementing the project and said coordinated efforts had helped complete the work quickly. He also stressed ensuring the maximum benefit from public funds by keeping project expenditure justified and free from waste.
He said the government aims to complete another major portion of the project by December and bring the main project close to completion within the next year.
Praising the quality of construction, Sheikh Rabiul Alam said the capability of the contractor in completing work on time without compromising quality was commendable. He also highlighted China’s technological and investment support for Bangladesh’s infrastructure development, saying the two countries would continue to cooperate based on mutual development and national interests.
The newly opened service bridges will remain toll-free. One bridge will carry traffic from Dhour towards Ashulia, while the other will serve traffic travelling from Ashulia towards Dhour.
Mohammad Abdur Rauf said the two separate elevated service bridges had been constructed to the highest technical standards while maintaining the Turag River’s natural navigability and water flow. He said the remaining project work would be completed within the stipulated timeframe in accordance with the approved design, safety regulations and contractual requirements.
Authorities urged drivers and pedestrians to follow traffic rules, observe the designated speed limits and avoid illegal parking to ensure safe and smooth traffic on the new bridges.
Once completed, the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway is expected to improve connectivity between Dhaka, Ashulia and surrounding industrial areas, while reducing congestion along the Dhaka-Ashulia corridor and facilitating the movement of people and goods.
Senior officials from the Bridges Division and Bangladesh Bridge Authority, the project director, engineers, representatives of contractors and consultants, local representatives and journalists attended the opening ceremony.
