Dhaka-Ashulia elevated expressway's plans modified, project costs to rise

The authorities of Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway (DAEE) project plan to add a trumpet interchange at Baipail, where three major roads converge, to speed up travel and allow for easier switching between directions.

"We are going to add a trumpet interchange in the project to make the elevated expressway more sustainable and user-friendly with seamless vehicular movement across multiple directions. It was not in the initial design of the project," Shahabuddin Khan, project director of the DAEE Project, told The Business Standard.

Shahabuddin further said, "Vehicles will get chances to go anywhere from any direction after getting on the elevated way from any ramp. No vehicle will need to come down to the road to change direction or do not have to face any signal."

The trumpet interchange, which will span 2 kilometres, is designed to improve traffic flow but comes with a caveat: a projected increase in the overall cost of the project.

"The cost impact of this addition is currently under evaluation, as the design of the trumpet interchange is not yet finalised," the project director said, indicating that a revised cost estimate will be available upon completion of the design phase.

The DAEE project was initially approved on 2 November 2017 with a budget of Tk16,901.32 crore.

Later in June 2022, the project faced a deadline extension with the budget increasing to Tk17,553.04 crore. The new completion date is set for June 2026.

As of February this year, 20% of the physical construction of the project has been completed.

The 24-kilometre expressway stretches from the south of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Ashulia. The project is under construction in three sections: the first section is 9 km, the second is 4.5 km, and the third is 10.5 km.

The expressway will have seven pairs of ramps for entering and exiting at key locations like Dhour, Zirabo, Nabinagar, Baipail, EPZ south and north, and two kilometres north of Baipail areas, ensuring connectivity to major highways including the Dhaka Elevated Expressway, Dhaka-Chattogram, Dhaka-Mymensingh, Dhaka-Jamalpur, Dhaka-Rangpur, Dhaka-Patuakhali, and Dhaka-Sylhet.

As part of the project, the road from Abdullahpur to Baipail will be expanded from existing two lanes to four and a central toll plaza will also be set up between Dhour and Ashulia.

The construction will also include nearly 10.84 km of ramps, 14.28 km of combined main and service roads, a 1.92 km flyover at Nabinagar, 2.72 km of bridges, and 18 km of drainage systems.

The Bangladesh Bridge Authority signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC) on 22 January 2015, for the project's implementation.