Dhaka's new commuting way

The idea of getting from the Airport area to Farmgate in only 10 minutes might have seemed like a distant dream just a few days ago. More often than not, the reality was nothing short of a nightmare, with people getting stuck for hours in what is one of the busiest routes of the city. 

But thanks to the highly anticipated First Dhaka Elevated Expressway that is being partially opened today by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, that sweet dream of a seamless travel for both Dhaka residents and those outside the city is about to become a proud reality, heralding a new dawn in the country's ever-evolving landscape of transport connectivity.

More significantly, this potential, attributed to the elevated expressway — the first of its kind in Bangladesh and also the country's largest Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project — only scratches the surface. 

Several other megaprojects in Dhaka, including the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line-6, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Line-3, and the third terminal at Shahjalal International Airport, are scheduled to become operational by September and October this year. This will translate into even individuals from Gazipur soon being empowered to reach the distant quarters of Motijheel within a span of just over an hour.

To put things into perspective, this will first be made possible by the operational BRT Line-3, which will allow commuters to travel from Gazipur to Airport in just half an hour. Afterwards, once the Metro Rail system is fully operational, commuters will be capable of travelling from Uttara to Motijheel in a mere 36.4 minutes.

Notably, all of these mega projects have materialised within a year following the inauguration of the MRT Line-6 services in the Uttara to Agargaon route on 28 December 2022. This initiative has facilitated a 12-kilometre journey between Uttara and Agargaon in just 10 minutes and 10 seconds.

The highly anticipated Uttara-Motijheel part of the MRT Line-6 is expected to be inaugurated in October, coinciding with the partial inauguration of the third terminal of Shahjalal International Airport.

Upon completion of the third terminal, Dhaka Airport's annual passenger and cargo handling capacity are expected to double. It can accommodate approximately 24 million passengers (including the old terminal) and handle 500,000 tonnes of cargo each year.

Again, specialised bus services from Dhaka Airport to Joydebpur, an integral part of the BRT Line-3 project, are set to commence in September, promising to alleviate the plight of travellers journeying northward.

Once operational, the BRT line will significantly reduce travel time for the 20.5 km journey from Airport to Joydebpur, cutting it down to just 35-40 minutes compared to the current duration of over two hours.

And if we can maintain our patience for a bit longer, we will reap more comprehensive benefits of the First Dhaka Elevated Expressway as well. 

Once the entire expanse of it, stretching from the South Kawla point of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway (Kutubkhali), becomes accessible for vehicular movement, it is expected to bring about an enormous socio-economic benefit to the country, by reducing travel time and leading to increased productivity, income, and overall quality of life.

Upon becoming fully operational, the elevated expressway will extend its reach from Kuril to encompass Banani, Mohakhali, Tejgaon, Satrasta, Moghbazar Rail Corridor, Khilgaon, Kamalapur, Sayedabad, Jatrabari, and Kutubkhali to the southern edges of the city, originating at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

Spanning a distance of 46.73 kilometres, the expressway is composed of a 19.73-kilometre main flyover alongside 27  kilometres of elevated links and ramps. It boasts five interchanges, two elevated links, 15 on-ramps, and 16 off-ramps.

The primary objective underpinning this endeavour is the mitigation of traffic congestion along the north-south corridor, achieved by establishing a vital link between the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway and the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway.

The expressway will facilitate enhanced accessibility for trucks during daylight hours to key industrial zones in Dhaka, including Savar, DEPZ, Baipail, Kaliakoir, and Gazipur. This, in turn, will fortify the backward linkage for import-export operations on the international stage and heighten regional connectivity along the Asian Highway corridor.

Furthermore, a channel for passenger bus transit is also integrated into this infrastructure. Although the local public buses might not yet seize upon this opening, inter-district buses stand to benefit. 

With complete execution, buses commencing their journey from the districts will gain a direct pathway to Sayedabad Bus Terminal, Narayanganj, and the southern districts, evading the clutches of Dhaka's traffic bottlenecks.

To augment that, the inclusion of the First Dhaka Elevated Expressway project into the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway, currently in the construction phase, will enhance transportation between Dhaka EPZ and North Bengal as well.  

This will establish a smoother connection, as the Airport will link to the Nabinagar intersection via Abdullahpur-Ashulia-Bypass and connect Chandra Junction via EPZ.

As the elevated expressway prepares to usher in a fresh beginning of progress and growth within the country, we can draw insightful lessons from our Asian counterparts like India, Pakistan, and South Korea regarding the transformative potential of expressways in uplifting a country.

These nations have experienced substantial advantages through the integration of expressways into their transportation networks. The incorporation of expressways has yielded noteworthy benefits, including fostering seamless connectivity across their respective territories, propelling national economies, significantly contributing to balanced regional development, and catalysing real estate opportunities.

With the inauguration of the First Dhaka Elevated Expressway and subsequent similar projects, coupled with the current government's ambitious blueprint to construct up to eight regional expressways throughout the country by 2041, Bangladesh stands poised to receive a considerable surge in connectivity. This enhancement is expected to confer lasting benefits for decades to come.

Before wrapping up, it's worth highlighting that the execution of the First Dhaka Elevated Expressway project encountered numerous hurdles, resulting in a delay of nine years for its partial inauguration.

These obstacles encompassed challenges such as the limited financial capacity of foreign partners, contracts being signed before proper preparation, complexities in land acquisition, conflicts with various government and autonomous bodies – including the Bangladesh Railway – concerning land usage, alterations in the design and alignment of the expressway, insufficient coordination among relevant departments during implementation, and inefficiencies of officials.

However, these impediments ultimately proved insufficient to deter the nation's aspirations for progress. The current government, under the remarkable leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, persevered through all adversities, transforming this colossal undertaking into a tangible reality today.

And thus, this expressway will stand as a remarkable achievement for the Sheikh Hasina government, unquestionably marking a fresh era of advancement for the entire nation.

This pivotal milestone beckons a moment of jubilation and a well-deserved recognition.