Bridges, roads and tolls: A look at the Dhaka-Ctg expressway budget

The government has started the process of securing foreign financing to upgrade the Dhaka-Chattogram highway, the country’s main trade corridor, into a six-lane access-controlled expressway with service lanes on both sides. 

According to the preliminary development project proposal submitted to the Planning Commission, the 232.76-kilometre project is estimated to cost Tk71,850 crore. Of the total, Tk55,080 crore is expected to come from foreign loans, while the government will provide the remaining Tk16,770 crore.

The largest share, Tk35,179 crore, will be allocated for bridges, flyovers, culverts and other structural works. Another Tk24,700 crore will be spent on road construction along the corridor. 

The proposal also earmarks Tk3,590 crore for acquiring 358.4 acres of land and Tk1,479 crore for compensation and rehabilitation of affected households and businesses. 

Additionally, Tk1,316.74 crore will be set aside for project supervision, site management and quality control, while Tk1,029 crore will fund intelligent transport systems and fibre-optic-based electronic toll collection. 

The project includes the construction of 104 toll plazas, comprising four major plazas and 100 satellite facilities.

The corridor carries nearly 96% of Bangladesh’s import and export cargo to and from Chattogram Port. 

Around 30,000 vehicles use the highway daily, with trucks accounting for 30-40% of traffic volume.