Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today inaugurated the construction work for the expansion of 55-kilometre Dhaka-Bhanga highway via Mawa, known as Padma Bridge Link Road, from two lanes to four lanes.

"This expansion work will be completed along with the construction work of the Padma bridge," the minister told journalist at the inaugural ceremony near Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj.

It would be the first ever expressway in the country as it would not have any traffic crossing, he said adding that vehicles would be able to ply on the road uninterruptedly.

Quader, also general secretary of ruling Awami League, said there would be two separate lanes on both sides of the road for slow movement vehicles. 

There would be five metres median in the middle of the road where metro rail would be constructed in future, the minister added.

A total of four flyovers, four railway overpasses and 21 underpasses would be constructed under this project to be implemented by the Special Works Organisation of Bangladesh Army.

Major General Md Siddiqur Rahman Sarker, engineer-in-Chief of army, Brig Gen Md Ahsanul Kabir, director general of special works organisation (west), Col Iftekhar Anis, project director and Md Shahin, upazila chairman of Keraniganj, among others were present at the inaugural function.