The metro rail line being developed from Uttara to Motijheel will be linked up with Kamalapur Railway Station as a feasibility study has finally recommended extending the elevated track by over one kilometre after acquiring private land and buildings.
The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) has recently completed the study and started detailed design work with an aim to float a tender for the extension part of Mass Rapid Transit Line-6 (MRT line-6) in the upcoming fiscal year.
Sources, however, said the construction cost of the extension part would not be higher than that of the land acquisition for having a good number of three or four-storey private buildings in the commercial zone.
They also said the study proposed setting up of the last station on the western side of the Kamalapur station building area coming through the road from Motijheel station crossing beside Sena Kalyan Bhaban.
The DMTCL earlier completed the topography survey after getting the go-ahead from the Prime Minister's Office in September last as the Bangladesh Railway was not ready to accommodate the plan for the MRT-6 station inside the Kamalapur station building.
But the experts consider the need for establishing the line's link with other modes of vehicles to allow passengers for getting their desired vehicles from railway stations.
The DMTCL, the cent percent state-owned company for MRT line planning, implementing, operating and management, is now carrying out soil tests at some points for the detailed design work aimed at completing it within six months.
Though the managing director of DMTCL earlier said the cost for carrying the extension part would not push up the project cost, sources said, per kilometre cost of the ongoing metro rail line is US$ 50 million.
Due to acquisition of private lands and demolition of more than 30 buildings, Tk 5.0 billion more might be needed for implementing the project.
The DMTCL has been implementing the MRT line-6 at a cost of Tk 220 billion with soft loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency targeting to complete it by December this year.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic situation, the time is under revision though the project's original plan indicated to launch the first mass transit corridor by 2024.
According to the DMTCL website, 63.26 per cent progress of the MRT line-6 had been made by April. But the progress of the first 10 kilometres was recorded at 84.79 per cent in April.
smunima@yahoo.com