The first phase of the Dhaka Airport Elevated Expressway project was formally put into use on Sept 2. As Bangladesh's first elevated expressway project, it will play a crucial role in alleviating traffic congestion in the country.
The project was built by a consortium of Power Construction Corporation of China (POWERCHINA)'s Sinohydro Engineering Bureau 8 Co., Ltd. and Shandong Luqiao Group Co., Ltd. It is one of Bangladesh's foremost infrastructure initiatives. The mainline of the project spans a total distance of 19.73 kilometers with a designed speed of up to 80 kilometers per hour.
The newly opened section of the project is 11.297 kilometers long and has been exclusively built with elevated design.
The project links Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and the port of Chattogram, aka Chittagong. After its entire completion, it will dramatically ease traffic congestion in Dhaka and reduce the travel time between the two places from two hours to just 20 minutes.
During its construction, the project has created numerous employment opportunities for Bangladeshi people and over 80 percent of its equipment supplies are from local market, making huge contributions to the economy and social development of the country.
