What Airport Road traffic reveals about our development model
As new infrastructure rises along Dhaka’s Airport Road, the lack of planning has transformed it into a tangled bottleneck
Standing near the airport, you can't help but notice the chaotic mash-up of infrastructure clogging up Dhaka's main entryway. Each new project is fighting for elbow room.
Elevated expressways loom overhead, casting long shadows that blend into the massive structure of the airport railway station. The BRT project weaves through this mess like an unfinished ribbon of progress.
Not too far off, there's a sprawling supermall, ramps for the Elevated Expressway, U-loops connecting to the airport's third terminal and a bus stop. Oh, and as if that's not enough, a five-star hotel is sprouting up, adding its own chorus of cranes and scaffolding.
The whole area now resembles a tangled headphone cord, a messy web of intersections, barriers and half-finished projects.
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It's like someone's been playing an endless game of "Add More Stuff" at Dhaka's main gateway and the result is relentless congestion and a whole lot of frustrated people.
"When implementing a megaproject in a megacity," Adil Mohammed Khan, professor of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at JU, explained. "It requires careful planning to assess its necessity, the returns, the reduction of existing road space and convenience for pedestrians, including those crossing the road or using sidewalks. Unfortunately, our project designs didn't consider these factors at all."
Dr Md Shamsul Hoque, professor of the Department of Civil Engineering at BUET, pointed out, "These projects were not coordinated properly. Plus, Uttarkhan and Dakshinkhan have expanded significantly as residential areas, adding more movement. Additionally, there is a level crossing in that area, so many people travel from Uttara or Dhaka toward the Haji Camp and areas like Dakshinkhan and Uttarkhan. This intersection is extremely busy and should have been coordinated better."
Google Maps offers three versions of Dhaka Airport Road, also known as Tongi Diversion Road, a part of the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway, in its street views: one from 2013, then from 2021, and the latest from 2023. Switching between these views, I feel reluctant to move to the newer ones.
The view from 2013 shows an open, green, and almost serene road. By 2023, it's transformed into a construction-heavy, congested maze. The 2013 version looks like a long-lost postcard, while the current view feels more like a snapshot from a concrete jungle.
It makes you wonder if all this "development" is actually helping or just adding to the headaches.
"We're constantly battling congestion, especially during winter when flights from the Middle East bring in a surge of passengers," says Jolil Uddin, a traffic inspector (TI) stationed on Airport Road. During peak times, thick fog delays flights, causing a flood of vehicles that stretch the traffic jam all the way to the main road.
"Though the traffic inside the airport area is not under our purview, we have to help in situations like these; otherwise, the roads get blocked," he adds. Jolil blames mostly the BRT project.
If an accident or major issue were to occur at this intersection, it wouldn't just be a minor inconvenience—it would trigger a chain reaction of chaos. "Emergency response would be slowed, gridlock would worsen and thousands of commuters would be stranded, leading to massive delays and frustration. The already overburdened infrastructure would buckle under pressure, amplifying the suffering for everyone caught in the disruption," said Prof Hoque.
Dr Hoque further highlighted, "The BRT project is taking place and RSD independently constructed an overpass, two U-loops were built in connection with the third terminal of the airport and the Dhaka Elevated Expressway has two ramps. Combined, this has created an area with overwhelming traffic that lacks sufficient capacity due to the absence of coordinated planning among the different agencies, each working on their own separate projects."
The Elevated Expressway has one small win—vehicles from southern districts can zoom in directly from the airport. But as Jolil puts it, "Only about one-third of the vehicles use the expressway; the rest pile up below, causing jams that last for hours," he says. "We often work without breaks, standing for hours just to manage the overflow."
Dr Hoque noted, "The road from Uttara was wide, but these projects have narrowed the intersection, making it a starting point for traffic jams that were not supposed to occur."
The BRT project, Jolil stresses, has been a prolonged issue, disrupting people in Gazipur and Dhaka for over eight years. The only advantage of this project is the flyover from Tongi College Gate to Bangladesh Navy Headquarters, which has reduced traffic congestion around Uttara House Building and Abdullahpur, as two-thirds of vehicles now take the upper road.
"However, from Uttara to the airport, we still face significant challenges. The west side's service lanes, both left and right, are too narrow," said Jolil.
"Our development has ironically led to traffic congestion; we invested money only to create more traffic issues," Dr Hoque emphasised. "While there may be some benefits, the lack of coordination will lead to significant problems during peak times, turning this area into a major bottleneck."
There are buses from 28 local companies running here; if each company has around 50 buses (some even have 100), 1,400 buses are competing on the road, along with other private vehicles, while the traffic resources are limited. "We have four constables and occasionally members from other forces and Scout volunteers help out, but we can't manage without proper infrastructure," noted Jolil.
"This entry point to Dhaka is heavily used, with numerous establishments, residential areas on both sides and traffic from the airport and railway station," Dr Hoque pointed out. "Additionally, it serves as Dhaka's gateway to northern regions like Mymensingh and Rangpur. This corridor is not just for local traffic but is the only gateway for a large number of people travelling from outside."
Nearby, the rail station handles around 40 trains each day, translating to roughly 80 train movements. This results in a constant stream of people crossing the road, yet there's only one footbridge, which is far from adequate.
"We need at least two. The lack of road barriers further complicates pedestrian control. To address this, we're working to install road barriers within the month," said Jolil. Without barriers, pedestrians cross randomly, which worsens congestion and poses safety risks.
Jolil is not happy about the megamall beside the airport. "Consultations with the police or Home Ministry were necessary before this," noted Jolil.
Dr Hoque also warned, "Approving this megamall was a significant oversight; it is like shooting oneself in the foot. While a megamall typically hosts business activities inside, the influx of people will generate secondary business activities outside. If buses stop here, the resulting movement and business activities on public roads will prevent this area from maintaining the high operational standards it was supposed to have."
"If everyone used the footbridge, it would still be overcrowded. It's like putting a patch on a leaky bucket," Jolil explains. It is a "design failure," commented Prof Adil. "In a city with heavy pedestrian movement like Dhaka, these projects failed to account for human needs. The development around the airport—the BRT project and the Elevated Expressway—has led to a narrowing of the roads."
The reality on the ground reveals the extent of this oversight. Green tin fencing stretches along both sides of the road here and there, closing off sections under construction.
The stretch from the Civil Aviation Authority office to the airport is now half usable, with a large, unfinished structure looming under the expressway. Hasinur Rahman, a worker of an under-construction five-star hotel on the road, speculates about its purpose. "They say it'll be a bus counter, but no one really knows," he remarks, frustration evident in his voice.
Adding to the mess, drainage issues are frequent. During rain, water pools up above ankle level. Prof Adil emphasised that these issues result from neglecting urban planning essentials. "They didn't prioritise pedestrian or drainage needs. Trees were removed and in their place, only small, decorative plants were put in—a mere beautification attempt that does nothing to address practical concerns."
Sajal Molla, a long-time resident nearby, feels that the space crunch for buses and other vehicles under the expressway is especially frustrating. "Office hours become a nightmare with these pillars everywhere. There's just no room left," he says. With narrow service lanes and traffic jams stretching to Tongi, the road has become a bottleneck, not a passageway.
Adil concluded, "This kind of auto-oriented development—where vehicle movement takes priority over pedestrian needs—ignores human convenience and makes urban life harsher. Instead of reducing pressure on the road, the elevated expressway and BRT have turned what was once a straightforward path into a chaotic, congested stretch."
Jolil keeps it real: "Let's say I ticketed a vehicle today. If it commits another offence, will it be ticketed again? Almost every vehicle has multiple tickets. Issuing tickets isn't going to fix these roads."
If an accident or major issue were to occur at this intersection, it wouldn't just be a minor inconvenience—it would trigger a chain reaction of chaos. "Emergency response would be slowed, gridlock would worsen and thousands of commuters would be stranded, leading to massive delays and frustration. The already overburdened infrastructure would buckle under pressure, amplifying the suffering for everyone caught in the disruption," said Prof Hoque.
