Muhammad Tareq ; Dhaka — The Padma Bridge, a monumental infrastructure project that transformed connectivity between Dhaka and Bangladesh’s southern and southwestern regions, marked its fourth anniversary of operations on Thursday.
Since opening to traffic on June 26, 2022, the mega-structure has facilitated over 25 million vehicular crossings, generating more than ৳3,392 crore in toll revenue.
Out of these earnings, approximately half has been directed toward repaying the government loan utilized to fund the bridge’s construction.
Built during the Awami League government’s tenure at a total cost of ৳32,605 crore, the Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) received ৳29,893 crore as a loan from the Ministry of Finance’s Finance Division.
Today, the multi-modal landmark accommodates vehicular traffic on its upper deck while supporting an active rail network underneath.
Surpassing Projections and Transforming Lives
The initial framework projected an annual toll collection target slightly exceeding ৳1,600 crore. Abu Sayad, an Executive Engineer of the BBA directly overseeing the bridge, noted that current revenues are surpassing original projections.
Beyond the financial milestones, he emphasized that the bridge stands as a powerful symbol of reduced public suffering while unlocking vast economic opportunities for the southern districts.
The economic impact is set to deepen further, as the infrastructure was deliberately built with built-in provisions to facilitate future natural gas transmission lines to the southern region.
A Growing Rail and Road Network
While the road route launched in June 2022, the Padma Bridge rail infrastructure has evolved rapidly over successive phases:
-
October 10, 2023: The primary rail link opened, establishing the initial Dhaka-Bhanga network.
-
December 24, 2024: The full Rail Link Project became fully operational. Directly connecting the capital to Khulna via Bhanga, Nrail, and Jessore, the route cut train travel times between Dhaka, Khulna, and Benapole to just 3.5 hours.
Breakdowns of Traffic and Toll Collections
Operational data compiled by the bridge authority reveals steady growth over its four-year timeline:
-
2022: 2,790,465 vehicles crossed, generating ৳402.96 crore.
-
2023: Total revenue reached ৳814.68 crore.
-
2024: Total revenue climbed to ৳836.35 crore.
-
2025: Recorded peak annual volume with 7,241,587 vehicles, bringing in ৳888.81 crore.
-
2026 (As of June 23): Collected ৳449.24 crore.
Cumulatively, gross earnings reached ৳3,392,16,01,400. The bridge also registered an all-time single-day record during the recent Eid-ul-Adha holiday. On June 5, a record-breaking 52,487 vehicles crossed within 24 hours, yielding ৳5.43 crore.
The following day saw 40,118 vehicles, generating ৳4.47 crore—ranking as the fifth-highest single-day collection in the bridge’s history.
The Rise of One-Second Electronic Tolls
To eliminate cash-row bottlenecks, the authority launched an Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system on September 15 of last year.
Utilizing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, the “e-toll” lanes recognize vehicle tags, verify account information, and deduct the fare automatically in under a single second without requiring vehicles to stop.
Abdullah Al Fahim, Head of Program Management at Aspire to Innovate (a2i), confirmed that more than 12,000 vehicles have registered on the e-toll platform, generating over ৳8 crore in automated transactions.
Technology experts and drivers agree that this shift toward automated toll collection significantly enhances transparency, reduces traffic congestion, and saves valuable working hours on the highway.