Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader has inaugurated the construction of the first phase of Dhaka elevated expressway in capital`s Kawla at 11:30am on Sunday.Obaidul said, this day can be termed as auspicious because the construction work of the elevated expressway began on Sunday after overcoming many hurdles.The total length of the expressway is 47 kilometers, including 27km ramps, and the lane measures 20 kilometers in straight length, he added.The 26 kilometer-long route of the expressway will start at Shahjalal International Airport, spreading over to Kuril-Banani-Mohakhali-Tejgaon-Moghbazar-Kamalapur-Syedabad-Jatrabari and will end at Kutubkhali on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway.In January 2011, the government signed an agreement with a Bangkok-based firm to build the four-lane expressway at a cost of Tk8,703 crore under the public-private partnership scheme.