Toll worth Tk 5cr comes from Dhaka Elevated Expressway in last 3 weeks

The Dhaka Elevated Expressway has been witnessing a huge vehicular movement than the desired target as the authorities collected tolls over Tk 5 crore as of Monday since its operation on September 3.

Around 62, 1,152 vehicles, mostly private cars, used the expressway from Uttara to Faremgate portion of the expressway till 6 am on Sunday and the total revenue collected from the vehicles stood at Tk 5.03 crore, said Project Director AHMS Akhtar on Monday.

Earlier on September 2, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the much-awaited 11.5-km Dhaka Elevated Expressway's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport-Farmgate section for traffic with an expectation of significantly reducing traffic congestion in and around the capital Dhaka.

The prime minister unveiled the nameplate of the expressway at Kawla end of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

The road transport and bridges ministry fixed the toll rates for the Dhaka Elevated Expressway's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport-Farmgate section ranging from Tk 80 to Tk 400.

Under category 1, the toll rate for car, taxi, jeep, sports utility vehicle, microbus (under 16 seats) and light truck (under 3 tonnes) for crossing the airport-Farmgate section from any point is Tk 80.

The toll rate for medium trucks (up to six wheels) for crossing the route from any point is Tk 320 under category 2.

Under category 3, the toll rate for trucks (over six wheels) for crossing the route from any point is Tk 400. The toll rate for any bus (16 seated or above) for crossing the route from any point is Tk 160 under category 4.

The total length of the elevated expressway is 46.73km covering Kawla, Kuril, Banani, Mohakhali, Tejgaon, Moghbazar, Kamalapur, Sayedabad, Jatrabari to Kutubkhali on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway.

Initially, the speed limit on the expressway will be 60km per hour and vehicles need 10 minutes to travel the 11km distance from the HSIA to Farmgate.

With an 11.5km mainline and 11km ramp, the length of the part will be 22.5km. Initially, 13 out of 15 ramps in this part will be opened. The ramps at Banani and Mohakhali will be opened once their construction is complete.

The total expenditure of the project is estimated at Tk 8,940 crore, while the viability gap funding is Tk 2,413 crore, which will be provided by the Bangladesh government.

The First Dhaka Elevated Expressway (FDEE) Company Ltd is the investor company. Italian Thai Development Public Company Ltd has 51 percent shares, China Shandong International Economic and Technical Co-operation Group (CSI) holds 34 percent while Sinohydro Corporation Ltd 15 percent shares.

As per the project, the first contract was signed on January 19, 2011 and the reviewed agreement was signed on December 15, 2013, and the project completion period was July 2011-June 2024.

Construction of the second phase Banani Railway Station to Moghbazar Railway Crossing is progressing fast.