Staff Reporter

Two newly constructed service bridges along the Dhaur-Ashulia route under the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway project have been opened to traffic. Minister for Road Transport and Bridges Sheikh Robiul Alam inaugurated the bridges on Wednesday morning (September 2).

The service bridges were built as alternative routes to maintain smooth traffic flow between Savar, Ashulia, and Dhaka while minimizing disruption to local commuters during the ongoing construction of the main elevated expressway. Both bridges have been kept toll-free and are accessible to regular vehicles as well as pedestrians.

To ensure safety, a maximum vehicle height limit has been established for the bridges, restricting oversized vehicles from accessing them.

Officials expressed optimism that the opening of these service bridges will significantly ease traffic movement between Uttara and Ashulia. It will also allow construction work on the main expressway project to proceed more efficiently.

Once the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway is fully operational, it will directly connect the Dhaka EPZ area through Ashulia to the Dhaka Elevated Expressway at Kawla. This will establish an uninterrupted 44-kilometer elevated roadway network stretching from the Airport area through Kuril, Banani, and Tejgaon down to Kutubkhali in Jatrabari.

In addition, several key infrastructure elements are being constructed to ease traffic congestion in the Savar and Baipail areas, including a multi-level interchange at the Baipail intersection, a dedicated access ramp to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, and separate connecting routes for Metro Rail (MRT Line-1) stations.