Panchabati-Muktarpur Elevated Expressway to Open in December

The wait is almost over. The elevated expressway connecting Panchabati in Narayanganj with Muktarpur in Munshiganj is scheduled to open to traffic in December. Built under the “Muktarpur-Panchabati Road Widening and Double-Decking Project,” the two-level road is expected to improve connectivity among Dhaka, Narayanganj and Munshiganj, while helping ease long-standing traffic congestion.

Once opened, the road will make travel between the capital and Narayanganj and Munshiganj faster and safer. Construction is nearing completion. Road Transport and Bridges, Railways and Shipping Minister Sheikh Robiul Alam said traffic would be allowed on the Panchabati-Muktarpur road from mid-December. During an inspection, he pointed out several construction defects and instructed officials to ensure that the work was completed properly.

Narayanganj Superintendent of Police Habibur Rahman proposed extending the Panchabati flyover to Chashara intersection, saying it would help reduce traffic congestion in the city. He noted that the Panchabati BSCIC area is one of Narayanganj’s major industrial zones, with hundreds of garment factories. Hundreds of cargo vehicles use the road every day, causing severe congestion and hardship. Extending the flyover to Chashara, he said, would play a major role in easing the problem.

Project Director Engineer Md. Ohiduzzaman said the two-level road would make transport between Munshiganj, Narayanganj and the capital smoother and more efficient. It is also expected to play an important role in reducing long-standing traffic congestion.

After completion, travel time is expected to fall by around 62.89 percent, average vehicle speed to increase 4.45 times and delays caused by traffic congestion to decrease by approximately 74.74 percent. The project is also expected to make road communication between Munshiganj, Dhaka, Narayanganj and other parts of the country faster, safer and less costly.

Project Acting Team Leader Engineer Zahurul Haque said three kilometres of asphalt paving had already been completed on the elevated road. Work on ramps connecting vehicles to the upper level was also underway. Solar lights had been installed, while construction on the lower level continued.

Tolls to Apply to the Upper Level

The upper level of the two-tier road is 36 feet wide and has two lanes. The final stages of construction include the top layer of bituminous carpeting and road marking. Vehicles using the upper level will have to pay tolls, while the 54-foot-wide, four-lane road on the lower level will remain toll-free.

According to the project director, the proposed toll rates are Tk 20 for motorcycles, Tk 50 for CNG-powered auto-rickshaws, Tk 80 for private cars, Tk 100 for microbuses, and Tk 300 to Tk 400 for buses. However, the rates have not yet been finalised.

The project has an estimated cost of Tk 33.1879 billion and is being implemented by a Chinese contractor. Its implementation period runs from January 2021 to December 2026. The project includes widening 10.813 kilometres of at-grade road, constructing 9.65 kilometres of elevated road and ramps, building four toll plazas and five weigh stations, widening the Kashipur and Gognagar bridges, and constructing one reinforced cement concrete (RCC) bridge, one truck stand and two parking areas for non-motorised vehicles.

Construction Progress

Deputy Team Leader Engineer Zahurul Haque said most of the major structural work had been completed as of July 23. Of the 121 expansion joints planned for the project, one had been installed, with work on the remaining joints ongoing. Of the 586 solar panels planned, 342 had been installed. Asphalt work had been completed on 2,727 metres out of the planned 8,056 metres.

Of the planned 7,400 metres of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe, 7,215 metres had been installed. Work on the drainage system had also progressed, with 6,622 metres of pipe installed out of a planned 8,011 metres. Work on different sections of the at-grade road has also advanced. Along the R-812 main road, 15,284 metres of concrete work had been completed out of 16,792 metres, while 14,946 metres of RCC work had been completed. On the R-810 Chashara-Fatullah section, 1,258 metres of concrete work had been completed out of 2,400 metres, along with 1,239 metres of RCC work.

Expected Benefits for Industry

The BSCIC industrial area in Fatullah, Narayanganj, has around 700 factories. Another 300 or so industrial establishments have developed between BSCIC and Muktarpur. Together, these industries employ around 400,000 workers.

Muktarpur is also home to five cement factories and six cold-storage facilities. As a result, thousands of vehicles travel along the Muktarpur-Panchabati road every day. The new road is expected to improve transport links for these industries and the surrounding areas.

Morshed Sarwar Sohel, general secretary of the Narayanganj BSCIC Owners’ Association and vice-president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), said, “If the transport system improves in any country, every sector benefits. Similarly, connectivity will improve through the Panchabati-Muktarpur road. However, Narayanganj and Munshiganj already have road links. It is not that there will be a major, separately noticeable improvement in business simply because of this new road.”