Moghbazar flyover risks missing deadline

The authorities concerned are unlikely to meet the deadline for completing the Moghbazar-Mouchak flyover project as only 40 per cent of construction has been done in 16 months of the two-year period, officials have said.

This has been indicating that public sufferings in and around the project areas will continue unabated.   

The project was officially started by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) and Cooperatives on February 16, 2013 with a two-year timeframe.

Seeking anonymity, a senior government official involved in the development project said they could miss the deadline because of some complexities including the underground utility infrastructure and traffic management that hampered the construction work.

"So, it has become very tough to accomplish the task within the deadline that will expire on February 16 next. We probably need more time to complete the job," he said.

He also added that the construction companies already placed a proposal for revising the budget.

When contacted, Project Director Nazmul Alam said they intensified their efforts to meet the timeframe as two-thirds of the project period had already passed.

"Hopefully, we will finish the job in time. If it is not possible, then we will go for time extension to July, 2015," he said.

He said they had so far made 40 per cent progress in the project.

"They had to make some readjustments in the underground design of the 8.25-km structure only to keep the underground utility infrastructure unaffected, which have eaten up a major portion of the valuable time," he said. The changes would not anyway affect the main design of the flyover, he added.

The Project Director (PD), however, admitted that the construction work was causing sufferings to people. "We have no alternative space in the project area to divert traffic. But we're opening the entire road of a particular area upon completion of the construction work there to reduce the sufferings of people," he said.      

About the possibility of rise in the project costs, the PD refused to make any comment. "If it happens so, the cost will not be as much as that of Gulistan-Jatrabari flyover," he added.

The Australian firm SMEC International and its three local associates-ACE Consultants Limited, SARM Associates Limited and Kranti Associates Limited-are working as consulting firms for the project.

The LGED initially started implementing two packages - PDMMFP W04 (a length of 2.1 km from Satrastha to Ramna via Moghbazar) and PDMMFP W06 (a length of 2.2 km from Janakantha office in Eskaton to Mouchak via Moghbazar).

Later, the authorities initiated the third package - PDMMFP W05 (a length of 3.93 km from Malibagh Chowdhurypara to Razarbagh and Shantinagar) because of the delay in awarding the contract on the package.

The estimated cost of the four-lane flyover is around Tk 7.73 billion. Of the project costs, the SFD will provide more than Tk 3.75 billion and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) Tk 2.0 billion while the remaining Tk 2.0 billion will come from the public exchequer, officials have said.

The project is very important for the capital's traffic management as the flyover is designed to ease gridlock at eight intersections-Satrasta, FDC, Moghbazar, Mouchak, Malibagh, Shantinagar, Rampura Chowdhurypara and Ramna thana where commuters have to spend hours together every day.

Once the flyover, which would contain a total of 15 ramps, is implemented, the movement of vehicles in Dhaka city from north to south and from south to north will be much easier.

The Danish and Bangladesh joint venture firm, Simplex-Navana, and the Bangladesh-India joint venture firm, MCCC-4 ACL-ODC, are engaged in the construction work, according to the project configuration.

Talking about the issue, a senior official of Toma Constructions Co. that carries out construction work on a sub-contract told the FE that they had put in their full efforts for finishing the project within the deadline.

Hailing intensive cooperation of the people living in and around the project areas, he said the residents will have to wait further to get the benefits of the three-tier infrastructure.

The construction work, however, causes immense public sufferings in the form of severe traffic congestion, noise, dust and air pollution to the people who are passing through the areas.

Traffic worsened at the construction site as the project's concessionaire remained indifferent towards the occupiers of roads and footpaths, complained locals.

Besides, keeping construction materials and debris haphazardly at Shantinagar, Moghbazar and Shatrasta has made things even worse. At some places, dug-up roads have been left without any warning signs, making them risky for pedestrians, motorists and all vehicles.

The construction activities were also affecting the school-goers and the businesses in the areas.

Rezaul Karim, manager of a Moghbazar-based restaurant, said their earnings fell by more than 50 per cent since the start of the project because of the traffic congestion, dust and mud, which kept away the customers.

Rokon Uddin, driver of a Gazipur-bound bus that plies the road, said they had to spend at least one hour to complete the 15 minutes' journey from Malibagh to Moghbaar via Mouchak.

"It's very boring and we don't know when the construction work and the horrific traffic congestion will end," he lamented.