7 BRT flyovers opened to end Dhaka-Gazipur route gridlocks

Infographics: TBS

It took Rakib Hasan, a garment factory owner residing in Mirpur DOHS area, only 45 minutes to drive to his factory in Gazipur's Vogra after opening of seven flyovers under the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project today.   

"I am amazed. Usually, it takes around two hours to come to my factory in Vogra from my house. But today I arrived in less than an hour without any break," he told The Business Standard. 

"If such a smooth road connectivity can be ensured, garment and other businesses in Gazipur will flourish more as it will have a positive impact on the supply chain," he continued.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader virtually inaugurated the flyovers today in a move to lower traffic gridlock on the Dhaka-Gazipur route before Eid-ul-Fitr.

The seven flyovers are Airport Flyover (Left Side), Airport Flyover (Right Side), Jasimuddin Flyover, U-Turn-1 Gazipura Flyover, U-Turn-2 Open University Flyover, Gazipur Vogra Flyover and Gazipur Chowrasta Flyover.

Like Rakib, other users of the route also said they were very happy with the opening of the flyovers as they think the BRT project will accelerate productivity in Dhaka-Gazipur industrial belt. 

Enayet, a truck driver, said cargo transporters had to face nagging traffic congestion in Gazipur on a regular basis before. The BRT project also added to their sufferings. 

"For the BRT project work, we suffered a lot. Sometimes, we, the truck drivers, had to stay at the steering more than one day to reach the factory or to reach Chattogram. We're grateful to the government as the new flyovers will help a lot in easing the jam," he said. 

Similarly, bus drivers and passengers also predict a substantial cut in travel time and more trips on the route. 

Md Khairul, a driver of Balaka Paribahan, expects that the journey from Dhaka Airport to Gazipur Chowrasta will come down to approximately one hour from 3 to 4 hours earlier. 

Echoing the same, Md Nurnabi, driver of Gazipur Pariban said, "Today, I have not seen any big traffic tailbacks from Joydebpur to Abdullahpur."

Rubina Akter, a passenger, reported a lot of time saving on her journey from Joydebpur to Mohakhali thanks to improved traffic flow after the flyovers came into operation.

Deputy Commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police Md Alamgir Hossain thinks that the overpasses will help ease traffic gridlocks in key choking points - Chowrasta intersection and Vogra bypass.  

"Now, traffic movement is expected to be smoother. We may be able to keep the traffic in control even during the Eid rush," he noted.  

The whole 20.5km route may come into operation by December, Minister Obaidul Quader has said. 

Initially, the project was supposed to be complete by December 2016. After seeing several extensions since then, the latest deadline expired in December 2023.

Joining the program online, the minister said, "The project could not be complete in time due to various issues. But now it has reached the final stage. Hopefully, it will be fully operational by this year."

Overall progress of the project stood at 91% as key project work had ended, he said. 

"We hope that the rest of the work will end by December, and BRT buses will be able to run in its corridor by then," he further said. 

Earlier, on 6 November 2022, a portion of the BRT project - the Dhaka-bound two lanes of the flyover from Tongi Fire Service in Gazipur to Uttara House Building - was opened to traffic.

The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) is tasked with constructing a 16 km road, including seven flyovers, while the Bangladesh Bridge Authority is constructing a 4.5 km flyover under the project.

Currently, construction work of the BBA's 4.5km flyover from Uttara House Building to Tongi Cherag Ali Market is underway.