Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is the administrative and commercial centre of the country. Its importance has been reflected by the strong growth in population which currently stands at around 14 million and is expected to continue to grow rapidly, with estimates suggesting the population could double over the next 20 years.

The high population density is reflected in the transport sector which consists of many different modes – both motorized and non-motorized. These various modes of transports often use the same road space resulting in high levels of traffic congestion and operational difficulties. Estimates indicate that 80% of registered vehicles in Bangladesh operate in Dhaka. These congestion challenges are exacerbated given the relatively low level of road infrastructure in Dhaka and the high growth in traffic volumes (estimated at 8 -10% per year). In order to facilitate congestion free traffic movement there is an urgent need for additional road infrastructures in Dhaka.

The Joydevpur-Bhulta-Madanpur Road (‘the Dhaka By-pass road) is a 2 lane road and part of the strategically important National Highway N105. It is a key arterial route which connects the northern and north-eastern part of the country with the southern and eastern region by-passing Dhaka city. It is estimated that every day around 10,000 motorized vehicles use the Dhaka By-pass road and the numbers are continuing to increase. Consequently the 2 lane road cannot cater for such increased traffic but there is a need to separate out the local traffic from the trans-regional traffic and create a dedicated expressway to cater for the increase in traffic demand and to reduce journey time.