PM Hasina to open project Saturday
Estimated project cost Tk8,940 crore
The government is all set to open the Airport-Farmgate section of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway for traffic starting Saturday as the workers are carrying out last-minute work on the megastructure.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will launch the project at an event to be held at the old Trade Fair grounds in the capital.
Traffic will be allowed on the 11km stretch of the expressway a day after the inauguration.
The government has announced the tolls for various vehicles. It has decided to ban three-wheelers and motorcycles on the expressway and set the speed limit at 60km per hour.
The government hopes that the expressway will ease traffic congestion to a large extent.
As per project details, the first contract was signed on January 19, 2011, and the reviewed agreement was signed on December 15, 2013. The project completion period was from July 2011 to June 2024.
The total length of the elevated expressway is 46.73km including 19.73km of the main elevated part.
The expressway will cover Kawla, Kuril, Banani, Mohakhali, Tejgaon, Moghbazar, Kamalapur, Sayedabad, and Jatrabari to Qutubkhali on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway.
According to project officials, the First Dhaka Elevated Expressway (FDEE) Company Ltd is the investor company. Italian Thai Development Public Company Ltd has 51% of the shares, China Shandong International Economic and Technical Co-operation Group (CSI) has 34% and Sinohydro Corporation Ltd has 15% of the shares.
The total expenditure of the project is estimated at Tk8,940 crore. Of the total cost, Tk2,413 crore is being provided by the Bangladesh government.
The toll rates for vehicles accessing the expressway were officially disclosed last week. The toll charges are as follows: cars, taxis, jeeps, SUVs, microbuses (with fewer than 16 seats), and light trucks (under three tons) will have to pay Tk80 to use the expressway.
Medium-sized trucks (up to six wheels) will have to pay a toll of Tk320, while trucks with more than six wheels will incur a charge of Tk400.
Additionally, all types of buses with 16 seats or more will need to pay Tk160 to access the expressway.
Source: Dhaka Tribune.