Chittagong's first elevated expressway, officially named the Shaheed Wasim Akram Expressway, has begun vehicular operations, with Chittagong City Corporation Mayor Shahadat Hossain paying the first toll.
Since the official commencement of toll collection at 10:30am, approximately 1,500 vehicles used the expressway in the first four hours, generating about Tk90,000 in revenue.
The project, constructed by the Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) at a cost of Tk4,298 crore, spans from Lalkhan Bazar to Patenga and is the first in the city to introduce toll collection.
Toll collection is currently managed directly by CDA at four booths located at the Patenga end, though the management is expected to be outsourced to a contractor in the future.
The finalized toll rates allow access for 10 types of vehicles, excluding motorcycles and trailers.
The rates are set at Tk30 for CNG autorickshaws, Tk80 for cars, Tk100 for jeeps and microbuses, Tk150 for pickups, Tk200 for minibuses and four-wheel trucks, Tk280 for buses, Tk300 for six-wheel trucks, and Tk450 for covered vans.
Approved in 2017, the expressway's construction faced significant delays, with only the main section completed after seven and a half years.
Originally designed to include 15 ramps for entry and exit, the number was reduced to nine following a change in government.
Of these, only one ramp has been completed so far, with work on the remaining eight still ongoing.
Currently, vehicles can access the expressway at Patenga and exit at Lalkhan Bazar.
However, there is no provision for entry at Lalkhan Bazar, requiring drivers to use alternative routes through the Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Flyover's Sholokbahar and Baby Supermarket entry points.
This development marks a significant milestone in Chittagong's urban transportation infrastructure, promising to alleviate traffic congestion and generate revenue through toll collection.