Titipara underpass opens to traffic
Staff Reporter :
After years of anticipation, the Titipara Underpass has finally been opened for all types of vehicles, easing traffic congestion in one of the capital’s busiest corridors. According to Bangladesh Railway, the underpass was made accessible to the public from 10am on Saturday (8 November).
The decision to open the underpass came during a site visit by Dr Sheikh Moin Uddin, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser in charge of the Ministry of Railways, who instructed officials to open it for public use immediately.
The underpass connects Atish Dipankar Road on one side and Kamalapur Outer Circular Road on the other, replacing the old level crossing at Titipara.
The crossing had long caused severe disruptions to both road and rail traffic, forcing commuters—including office-goers and students—to endure years of inconvenience while the construction was underway.
The project, constructed under the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project, took nearly two years to complete.
The newly built structure features a six-lane roadway, with four lanes dedicated to motor vehicles. Vehicles up to five meters in height can pass through easily. Additionally, there are separate lanes for rickshaws and bicycles on both sides, along with wide footpaths for pedestrians.
To ensure ease of movement for pedal-driven vehicles, the outer lanes have been slightly elevated compared to the central lanes. With trains running overhead and road traffic flowing below, the underpass is expected to significantly reduce congestion and improve safety.
Road markings, landscaped dividers with flowering plants, and lamp posts on both sides add aesthetic appeal to the structure.
Brigadier General Ahmed Zamiul Islam, Project Director of the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project, noted that limited space posed a major engineering challenge. “We obtained a portion of land from the Kamalapur ICT Authority on the right side, but beyond that, expansion wasn’t possible. Constructing a bypass would have been unsafe given the depth of the underpass,” he said.
He stressed the importance of proper maintenance of the infrastructure, emphasising that “maintenance is not the responsibility of a single agency — multiple stakeholders must work together.
The railway authority must ensure that the pump house remains operational, especially during adverse weather conditions.”
Built 11 meters below the main road, the underpass is equipped with a modern drainage system designed to prevent waterlogging during the monsoon.
Engineer Nilakor Biswas, who supervised the project, said a dedicated rainwater pump well has been installed for the underpass.
“All accumulated water will automatically flow into this well, which houses four 75-kilowatt pumps. Depending on the water level, the pumps will activate automatically and discharge the water into the nearby city corporation canal,” he explained.
Speaking to Dhaka Post, Bangladesh Railway Director General Md Afzal Hossain confirmed the opening, saying, “Our adviser’s special assistant visited the site and directed us to open it. No formal inauguration was necessary. The underpass has already been opened to the public from 10am today.”
The Titipara Underpass is expected to significantly improve traffic movement between central and eastern Dhaka, marking another milestone in the city’s growing transport infrastructure.