The authority of Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway Project is going to make design changes to build an interchange for smoother traffic movement at Baipail where three major roads meet.

An interchange, also known as a grade-separated junction, is a road that uses grade separations to allow for the movement of traffic between two or more roads or highways.

The decision to build the 2km-long interchange was made as the 24km elevated expressway project recently picked up pace.

The elevated expressway is being built between Dhaka EPZ area and the airport under the Tk 17,553 crore project. Physical work of the China-funded project started in November 2022, and as of last month,  it made just 20 percent progress.

Officials say the project is still facing some challenges as the authority could not hand over the land required for the construction to the contractor and move some of the utility lines away from the project area.

Besides, the design change needed for the interchange is likely to increase the project cost. Meeting the June 2026 deadline is also a challenge for the authority, according to them.

The expressway will connect Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport with Abdullahpur, Ashulia, Baipail and Dhaka Export Processing Zone on the Nabinagar-Chandra highway. Motorists will have to pay a toll to use it.

It will allow people from 30 districts to enter and exit the capital quickly and easily. There will be 14 ramps of a combined length of 10km. As per project documents, the expressway is expected to boost the country's gross domestic product by 0.21 percent.

Another expressway called Dhaka Elevated Expressway is being constructed to connect the airport to Dhaka-Chattogram highway in Kutubkhali. It opened up to Farmgate last year.

Once both elevated expressways are open to traffic, they will serve as a bypass and people from the country's northern, western and south-western regions will be able to avoid the capital's traffic congestion as they will go from one side of the city to another without having to use the city streets.

Trucks and Lorries, which are now barred from entering the city during daytime, will also use the expressways.

The project, which was originally supposed to be complete within June 2022 at a cost of Tk 16,901 crore, is being implemented under a government-to-government initiative between Bangladesh and China. Implementation of the project was delayed as Chinese authorities took longer to approve it. The delay resulted in a Tk 652 crore increase in costs, officials said.

China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC), the main contractor, is executing the civil works by three Chinese sub-contractors.

THE INTERCHANGE

Sabuj Uddin Khan, additional chief engineer (Dhaka zone) of Roads and Highways Department, said the design at Baipail point was incomplete. That is why they will build an interchange.

Project Director Shahabuddin Khan said the interchange at Baipail will ensure seamless traffic movement from all three directions.

He said the interchange would be built over the elevated expressway.

Currently, a vehicle from a northern district can enter Dhaka through Baipail-Nabinagar-Savar-Gabtoli Road and also the Baipail-Ashulia-Abdullahpur-Uttara Road.

Shahabuddin said the design of the interchange got approval in principle from the secretaries of both the bridges division and the road transport and highways division recently.

"Currently, we are drawing the full design of the interchange and estimating its possible cost," he told The Daily Star yesterday.

He said the authorities were supposed to build two flyovers at Nabinagar at a cost of Tk 370 crore under the project, but dropped the plan following RHD's request as it had a different plan centering the Nabinagar point.

Shahabuddin said the effective length of the interchange is likely to be 2km and may increase the total project cost even as the Nabinagar flyovers are no longer in the plan.

They will seek revision of the project once the design of the interchange is completed, he added.

CHALLENGES AHEAD

When this correspondent visited the project site in October last year, officials of the contracting firm SMC said their work progress was halted by several elements.

They said the whole project was affected by the utility lines over and underground.

The project was also affected by delay in re-settlement of existing inhabitants on the project areas, they said.

Asked, PD Shahabuddin also admitted that shifting utility lines is a challenge to project implementation.

He said the project area is an industrial area and the power authorities are shifting power lines, halting supply one day in a week, resulting in delay in line relocations.

However, he said, around 80 percent utility services have already been relocated from the project site.

As per the progress report of the project, 1,417 out of 3,091 affected persons of the project received compensation.

Shahabuddin said they have been able to acquire around 85 percent land required for the project. He however said they have to acquire a little more land for the interchange.

Replying to a question, Shahabuddin said they were hopeful about completing the project within 2026.