The capital’s second elevated expressway is being built between Dhaka and Ashulia. The project was officially inaugurated in November 2022. From the outset, the government has been allocating and releasing funds as required. Despite uninterrupted funding, the project’s implementation has been delayed. Although completion was originally scheduled for June 2026, officials now say it may take at least another year and a half. They have also indicated that project costs are likely to rise further.
A visit to the site shows that ongoing construction work has left several sections of the Abdullahpur–Ashulia road riddled with potholes. In addition to heavy traffic congestion, commuters suffer from muddy water during rains and excessive dust during dry weather.
The Dhaka–Ashulia Elevated Expressway project was approved by the then government in 2017. Initially, the project was set to be completed by June 2022 with an estimated cost of BDT 169.01 billion. It is being implemented under a government-to-government (G2G) arrangement with China. However, due to delays in signing the loan agreement, the deadline was extended to June 2026, and the cost increased to BDT 175.53 billion.
According to the project office, as of October 20, 55.5 percent of the physical work has been completed, while the overall progress stands at 63.5 percent. To meet the original deadline, the remaining 45 percent of physical work must be completed within the next eight months. However, a recent report by the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) of the Planning Commission suggests that this target is unrealistic under current circumstances.
The IMED report stated that construction could not start on schedule as outlined in the Development Project Proposal (DPP) because of the delay in finalizing the loan agreement. Although work is ongoing and funds are being disbursed as required, the remaining construction is unlikely to be completed by the June 2026 deadline. The report projects that the project may be completed by December 2027.
However, Project Director of the Dhaka–Ashulia Elevated Expressway, Md Shafiqul Islam, disputed parts of the IMED report, calling its information inaccurate. Speaking to Bonik Barta, he said, “We signed the construction contract with the contractor in October 2022. According to the agreement, the contractor must complete all work within five years and two months — meaning by December 2027. We are closely monitoring the contractor’s work to ensure it is completed within this timeframe.”
He said a proposal to revise the Development Project Proposal (DPP) and extend the project deadline to December 2027 has been sent to the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, adding, “The ministry will forward the proposal to the Planning Commission.”
The Abdullahpur–Ashulia highway is one of the busiest roads in the country. As it passes through an industrial zone, a large number of freight vehicles travel alongside passenger transport every day. However, slow progress in the expressway’s construction and weak management in the project area have led to severe traffic congestion, causing widespread suffering for commuters.
The IMED report also highlighted this issue, noting that the contractor has taken few visible measures to control traffic congestion around construction zones. According to the contract, the contractor is required to maintain round-the-clock traffic management at construction sites, but this condition has not been met. The report further stated that dust pollution was evident across several sections. Although water is being sprayed to reduce dust, the measures are inadequate.
Meanwhile, midway through construction, some design modifications and additions have been proposed. The Bangladesh Bridge Authority, which is implementing the Dhaka–Ashulia Elevated Expressway project, said the plan now includes replacing a proposed 710-meter four-lane flyover at the Nabinagar intersection with two separate flyovers — a one-kilometer two-lane flyover from Savar to Chandra and a 1.5-kilometer two-lane flyover from Chandra to Aricha. Additionally, an underground U-loop and two ramps will be built to connect Savar EPZ to the expressway. Four ramps will be built at the Zirabo intersection and two more at the Mirpur embankment intersection.
Regarding the design revisions, Project Director Md Shafiqul Islam said, “To better serve the public, we have initiated plans to connect the Dhaka–Ashulia Elevated Expressway with the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. We’re also developing an intersection in the Baipayl area to ensure smooth traffic flow. Similar design changes and additions are being made in several other locations.”
When asked whether these design modifications would increase costs, he said, “We’ve proposed the DPP revision, incorporating design changes and additions. The revised DPP reflects a slight increase in project costs. However, we’re not disclosing the exact figure at this stage.”