Dhaka Bypass Expressway to offer free passage during durga puja holidays

A section of the Dhaka Bypass Expressway will be open to all vehicles free of charge from 20 to 24 October, offering commuters an alternative route during Bangladesh’s Durga Puja holidays.

The Pulbachal–Bhulta section of the expressway will provide toll-free passage for five days, as the project company seeks to ease traffic congestion and facilitate travel for people visiting their hometowns and families during the festive period.

Prior to this, the project team had connected the previously obstructed K22 section with the already operational mainline, enabling uninterrupted and smooth traffic flow across the first 35 kilometers of the expressway’s mainline.

The Dhaka Bypass Expressway Development Company (DBEDC) is invested in, constructed, and operated by a consortium comprising Sichuan Road & Bridge (Group) Co., Ltd. (under Shudao Investment Group), Shamim Enterprise(Pvt.) Ltd., and UDC Construction Limited.

The initiative is expected to provide relief to travellers as traffic volumes increase during the consecutive public holidays associated with Durga Puja, one of Bangladesh’s major religious festivals.

Dhaka, a city of more than 10 million people, regularly experiences severe congestion, particularly on roads leading out of the capital during major festivals. The additional traffic places considerable pressure on existing national highways, often resulting in long journeys and delays for passengers and goods transport.

The newly connected section is expected to offer an alternative for motorists travelling through the northern outskirts of Dhaka, helping divert traffic from congested roads and improving connections between major highways.

According to the project company, the toll-free arrangement will cover private vehicles, families travelling for the holidays and commercial vehicles using the designated section. The measure is intended to reduce travel costs and waiting times while allowing more people to experience the benefits of the expressway.

The road’s segregated traffic arrangements and safety facilities were designed to provide a safer and more efficient journey than conventional roads. It has also prepared a holiday traffic management plan involving toll station personnel, highway patrols, emergency response teams and security staff.

Road inspection, emergency assistance, and traffic diversion management measures will also be implemented to maintain road safety and orderly traffic flow during the toll-free period.

The Dhaka Bypass Expressway is approximately 48 kilometres long and connects several national highways, creating an alternative route for traffic travelling between Dhaka and the country’s northern and north-eastern regions.

The project is also a significant example of Bangladesh–China infrastructure cooperation. It is described as the first road-sector public-private partnership project under Bangladesh’s Public-Private Partnership Act.

Its development is intended to improve regional connectivity, reduce pressure on Dhaka’s urban road network and strengthen the movement of goods between key transport corridors.

The toll-free initiative comes as the project moves towards completing its remaining sections. Once fully developed, the expressway is expected to play a larger role in easing traffic congestion around the capital and improving regional logistics.

For Bangladesh, the project’s longer-term contribution will depend not only on completing the road but also on how effectively it integrates with existing highways, manages traffic flows and delivers sustained benefits to commuters and businesses.

The five-day waiver offers motorists an opportunity to use the newly connected section without paying tolls during the festival. It also provides an early indication of how the expressway could support holiday travel and reduce pressure on existing routes.

The project company said it would continue construction on the remaining sections while improving the road network’s functions and supporting Bangladesh’s economic development.

Moreover, DBEDC also reminds the public to stay safe while traveling during the holidays and wishes everyone a happy festival!