The Tk 7.73 billion Maghbazar-Mouchak flyover is getting another year to complete its construction as the government has extended the project completion timeline up to December next year, officials said Monday.
Planning Commission (PC) officials said they had extended the deadline up to December 2015 from the present timeline of December 2014 without enhancing any cost of the flyover project.
"Since the Local Government Engineering Department will fail to complete building of the Maghbazar-Mouchak flyover by December this year, we have extended the deadline. We hope, the important flyover will be built within the newly-extended timeline," a senior PC official told the FE.
Earlier, the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), the project executing agency, sought time extension from the Planning Commission.
"After scrutinising the necessity, we have extended the deadline," the PC official said.
When contacted, Project Director Nazmul Alam told the FE that they are now hopeful of completing the works within the new deadline.
The construction of the Maghbazar-Mouchak Flyover started on February 16, 2013 at a cost of Tk 7.73 billion with the financial support of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID).
Of the project costs, the SFD will provide nearly Tk 3.75 billion and the OFID Tk 2.0 billion while the remaining Tk 2.0 billion will come from the public exchequer, officials said.
LGED officials said some complexities including shifting of the underground utility infrastructure and traffic movement that hampered construction works had delayed completion of the project works.
The project is being implemented under three packages -- PDMMFP W04 (a stretch of 2.1 km from Satrastha to Ramna via Maghbazar), PDMMFP W06 (2.2 km from Janakantha office in Eskaton to Mouchak via Maghbazar) and PDMMFP W05 (3.93 km from Malibagh Chowdhurypara to Razarbagh and Shantinagar).
Nazmul Alam said two packages -- PDMMFP W04 and PDMMFP W06 are expected to be completed by December 2015.
He, however, said the third package--PDMMFP W05 is likely to get six months more to June 2016 to complete.
The project is very important for the capital's traffic management as the flyover is designed to ease gridlock at eight intersections Satrasta, FDC, Maghbazar, Mouchak, Malibagh, Shantinagar, Rampura Chowdhurypara and Ramna where commuters remain stranded for hours every day.
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