First non-stop expressway opens to traffic on Thursday

Country's first world-class nonstop expressway is now fully visible. The Dhaka-Mawa- Bhanga four-lane expressway will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday (March 12).

Between this expressway the 6.15 kms-long Padma bridge is situated between Mawa of Munshiganj and Jajira of Shariatpur. From the expressway can be reached to Bhanga of Faridpur in 42 minutes over the Padma Bridge from Dhaka. Moreover, the touch of development in the capital will reach from the city to the grassroots.

Two lanes of five-feet wide have been set up on the Dhaka Mawa highway to allow local traffic. That is, the expressway will have 6 lanes at all times.

According to project sources, the length of the expressway is 55 km. Of which, from Jatrabari of Dhaka to from Mawa is 35 kms. while from Madaripur to Bhanga is 20 kms.

All work of this expressway of the country first expressways is complete. At present, the expressway is ready for transport. Railing construction and beautification work are completed on both sides of the road. Different types of trees have been planted in the middle of the expressway.

The concerned project source said, “The work of this project is funded by the own source of the Government of Bangladesh. The Roads and Highways Department and the Bangladesh Army's 24 Engineers Construction Brigade are doing the overall work of the project.

In addition, under this project there are 31 bridges on the highway (PC Gardar 20 and RCC 11), major bridges Dhaleswari-1, Dhaleshwari-2 and Ariyal Khan and 45 culverts, 3 flyovers, five underpasses as Great Separators and two interchanges at Teghoria of South Keraniganj and 2 at Bhanga. There are also four railway overpasses.

It should be noted that on November 18, 2016 the work of the expressway began. It was estimated initially at Taka 6 thousand 252 crores 28 lakh.  However, the revised estimate of this project now stands at Taka 11 thousand crores.