Bakalia road to reduce traffic congestion likely in Ctg

OUR CORRESPONDENT
CHATTOGRAM, Sept 16: The long-awaited Bakalia access road will reduce the traffic congestion in the port city Chattogram after opening it for traffic next month.
Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) has completed the construction work of the road which connects Siraj-ud-Doula road to Shah Amanat Bridge.
Officials of CDA said that Bakalia access road, built to ease traffic and improve connectivity with south Chattogram from port city, will be opened for vehicular movements soon.
CDA chairman Zahirul Alam Dubash said, "CDA has completed the project now. The Bakalia access road which is connecting Siraj-ud-Doula road to Shah Amanat Bridge will reduce the traffic congestion of the Chattogram city area. Now, it is waiting for inauguration. I hope Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would give a date to inaugurate the road next month. After inauguration, the road will be opened for traffic."
Project Director (PD) of the road Engineer Kazi Kader Neawz said, "Almost all works of the road, being constructed under the CDA, have already been completed now. The road will be opened for vehicular movements in October."
"CDA is now working for beautification of the road which will be completed in this month," he added.
After the inauguration of the road, the residents of Bakalia and south Chattogram will be able to reach the central part of the city within a very short time.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the road construction on September 6 in 2016. Constructed at an estimated cost of Tk 2.06 billion, the deadline for the 1.5km and 60-feet wide road was June 2019. But the project has been delayed due to conflicts surrounding a 10-storey building on the alignment of the project and land acquisition cases.
However, the CUET expert team submitted fresh report on the alternative alignment of road of the CDA one year back.
Later, the project was extended till June 2023 and it was completed within the extended schedule. With the basis of the CUET report, the CDA management decided to revise the DPP. At last, CDA constructed the road with fresh design avoiding the high rise building.
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