Photo: Xinhua

 A Chinese and Bangladeshi joint venture has started construction of a mega expressway bypassing Dhaka.

Sichuan Road and Bridge (group) Co., Ltd won the deal jointly with local Unique Dream Consultant and Shamim Enterprise Limited to construct the 48-km Dhaka Bypass Expressway.

A total of 40 billion taka will be spent for construction of the expressway within the next three years. The expressway will pave the way for vehicles to drive at a speed of 120 kmph.

The construction of the four-lane expressway which is expected to be completed by 2022.

Bangladeshi Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Thursday opened the groundbreaking work of the project at Purbachal on the outskirts of Dhaka under the country's first major public private partnership (PPP) initiative.

Also on Thursday night, a project commencement ceremony was held in Dhaka with participation of senior officials and dignitaries from various sectors.

The expressway, connecting Joydevpur, Debugram, Vulta and Modonpur, will establish an easy link for the industrial belts around Dhaka with the seaport city Chattogram and northeastern Sylhet region bypassing the capital city.

In his speech at the groundbreaking ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming said the Dhaka bypass project will greatly improve the city's transportation network, ease congestion problems, reduce logistics costs, and bring huge economic and social benefits.

Facility connectivity is the main focus of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, and infrastructure is the key area of cooperation between China and Bangladesh, he said.

In addition to the bypass project, the ambassador said Chinese enterprises have engaged in investment and projects regarding road and bridge, tunnel and other sectors as well, such as the Padma Bridge, the Mujibur Rahman Tunnel under the Karnaphuli River, Payra 1,320-MW thermal power Plant.

"At present, these projects are progressing smoothly. I hope that the Chinese enterprises involved in these projects will make full use of China's advantages in terms of capital, technology and management, and combine those with Bangladesh's advantages in human resources, to achieve complementary effects, and smoothly carry out project construction operations," he said.