Dhaka-Ashulia elevated expressway: Per km cost rises to Tk 731cr

The cost of the 24-km Dhaka-Ashulia elevated expressway has shot up by nearly Tk 652 crore or about 4 percent to Tk 17,553 crore and the implementation time has also been extended by four years to June 2026.

The approval came at an ECNEC meeting on Wednesday. Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Sheikh Hasina chaired the meeting.

Now the overall cost per kilometre stands at Tk 731 crore.

The overall cost includes acquiring 40.89 hectares of land and rehabilitation, construction of 24km expressway and 10.84km ramps, construction of two-lane 1.92km Nabinagar flyover, reconstruction of 14.28km grade road, 2.72km two-lane bridge, 500km overpass, 18km drain for utility services, four toll plazas and others.           

According to the DPP, 100 percent of the commercial contracts have been fixed for financing through foreign loans, but in accordance with the loan agreement, 85 percent of the contracts has already been finalised through foreign loan.

In addition, it is mentioned in the lone agreement that the three items — employer’s facilities, central control building and route clearance — will be executed with Bangladesh government’s money instead of the project loan.

As a result, coordination between the project loan and the government allocation is needed to execute the project as per the loan agreement.

The meeting revised up per dollar cost to Tk 86 from earlier-set Tk 80.57, reduced interest on construction loan by Tk 1116.84 crore, price contingency 8 percent against 4 percent and increased expenditure in salaries and other allowances, outsourcing, petrol, lubricant, stationeries, vehicle repairing and maintenance and others and extended the project implementation period by 4 years.

The project was included in the RADP in fiscal 2021-22 with a total cost Tk 638.52 crore.

The ECNEC meeting approved a total of nine projects worth Tk 2,661.21 crore at the meeting,” said Planning Minister MA Mannan while briefing reporters after the meeting.