Another down ramp of Dhaka Elevated Expressway is being opened for traffic. Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader will officially open this down ramp of FDC section of Kawran Bazar at around 10:30 am on Wednesday (March 20).
Sheikh Walid Faiz, Senior Information officer of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, gave this information on Tuesday (March 19).
The 19.73 km long Dhaka Elevated Expressway will start from Kawla south of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and extend to Dhaka Chattogram Highway (Qutubkhali) via Kuril, Banani, Mohakhali, Tejgaon, Moghbazar, Kamalapur, Sayedabad, Jatrabari.
However, as the work is not yet complete, the elevated expressway is currently plying traffic from South Kawla to Farmgate. Out of total 31 ramps, 15 ramps are currently operational. With the opening of one more new ramp, the number of ramps currently opened will be 16.
It is known that the Dhaka Elevated Expressway is the first double-decker road in the country built under a Public Private Project (PPP). The cost of its construction has been estimated at Tk. 8 thousand 940 crores. Out of which the Bangladesh government will bear Tk. 2 thousand 413 crores and the remaining money is given as loan by China Exim Bank and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.
A total of 31 ramps will be constructed for the first elevated expressway in the country. Its total length is 27 km. The total length of the elevated expressway including this ramp is 46.73 km.
Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated this project on September 2 last year. It was opened for traffic from dawn the next day.