Two highway dev schemes seek more money

Meeting extended deadline

FHM HUMAYAN KABIR | Published: January 27, 2024 23:15:09

Two mega highway development projects have sought higher funds than allocated with an eye to completing the road-widening work in time.
Roads and Highways Department (RHD) officials on Saturday said they sought higher funds for the Elenga-Hatikumrul-Rangpur and the Dhaka-Sylhet highways in the upcoming revised annual development programme (RADP).
The state-backed road developer has sought Tk 7.28 billion extra funds for the ADB-funded SASEC-2 scheme 'Elenga-Hatikumrul-Rangpur four-lane highway development' in the RADP for fiscal year (FY) 2023-24.
The RHD has recently sought a total of Tk 27.82 billion in the RADP against the current allocation of Tk 20.54 billion for the project in question.
For the Dhaka-Sylhet highway project, the implementer sought Tk 2.44 billion higher than the current outlay in the original ADP for widening it.
In total, the RHD has sought Tk 12.44 billion in the RADP for FY2024 against its original allocation of Tk 10 billion in the ADP.
"We've sought extra money in the RADP to finish the road-widening work in time. The highways are crucially important economic corridors for the country as well as for regional connectivity," said a senior RHD official.
"If we get the revised funds in the RADP," he said, "we are hopeful of completing the projects in time."
Originally initiated in 2016 at Tk 118.99 billion and a deadline set for 2021, the SASEC-02 project received notable financial support from the ADB.
However, due to delays in commencing work, the project underwent its first revision even before the construction began in 2020.
The cost then escalated to Tk 166.62 billion, and the deadline was extended to December 2024.
Following a subsequent special revision, the project cost increased to Tk 186.79 billion.
According to a road transport and bridges ministry official, some 65 per cent of the project is done, and it may require one more year up to December 2025 for the remaining work.
The SASEC-02 is part of the SASEC corridor, Asian Highway-02, BIMSTEC corridor-02 and SAARC corridor-04.
Official sources claimed the RHD put forth these infrastructure building proposals to ensure uninterrupted traffic flow on the 190.4-km highway. It serves as an extension of the Joydevpur-Tangail-Elenga highway, where widening work has already been carried out under the SASEC-01 project.
Within the 190.4-km stretch of the road, the project has designed six flyovers, two railway overpasses, 32 bridges, 180 culverts, 11 footbridges, 39 underpasses and a modified interchange at Hatikumrul. An estimated 326 hectares of land have been acquired for the project.
Meanwhile, the RHD started work on the other ADB-funded 210-km Dhaka-Sylhet highway project in late 2022 at a total cost of Tk 169.18 billion. In February 2021, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved the project, setting December 2026 as the deadline for completion.
According to a Planning Commission official, the commission is scrutinising fund requirements for both projects, which will be reflected in the RADP.
The commission is now working to revise the current ADP for FY2024 aimed at streamlining the execution of projects.
kabirhumayan10@gmial.com