Cracks spotted in Ctg flyover

CHATTOGRAM, Oct 26 (Agencies): Commuters in the port city were caught in snarls on Tuesday morning, with the authorities closing down a carriageway of the busy Bahaddarhat flyover following development of cracks on its pillars.
Chattogram police have closed a section of MA Mannan Flyover to traffic after cracks appeared in the pillars.
Officials said the ramp was constructed for lighter vehicles and the pillar was damaged due to the load of heavier ones.
Stretching from the city's Chandgaon area to Bahaddarhat intersection, the 1.33 km flyover was constructed with a budget of Tk1.06 billion.
The decision to suspend the movement of vehicles on the Kalurghat carriageway of the flyover was taken by Chattogram City Corporation and Chattogram Metropolitan Police on Monday night after cracks were spotted in the pillars of the ramp towards Arakan Road.
Local councillor Esrarul Haque Esral said the decision was taken to avoid any accident on the flyover. In addition to the police barricades, two traffic cops have been deployed to keep a tab on vehicles.
Moinur Rahman, the officer-in-charge of the Chandgaon Police Station said Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) was informed about the cracks "as they're responsible for the maintenance of the flyover".
"However, vehicles are plying the Sholokbohor carriageway of the flyover."
This is not the first time that cracks have been spotted on the flyover. In January 2018, a big crack appeared in one of the ramps linking the flyover.
In November 2012, 17 people were killed when three steel girders of the flyover collapsed during construction work in the Bahaddarhat area. Again on June 29 of that year, a 130-foot-long concrete girder collapsed in Bahaddarhat.
To reduce traffic in the city, the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) took the initiative to build MA Mannan flyover from the city's toll plaza to Bahaddarhat, an area of one kilometre.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone in January 2010. Later, the Bangladesh Army was entrusted with the responsibility of supervising its construction work. Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the flyover on October 12, 2013.
A ramp leading to Kalurghat was later added in 2017. The Chattogram Development Authority took steps to link a 326m long and 6.7m wide ramp with the flyover in December 2016, as demanded by the locals.
Chandgaon Police Station chief Moinur Rahman said crack was identified in a pillar connecting the ramp to the flyover on Monday night.
Experts said the authorities opened the flyover ignoring a proposal of setting up a loop.
Responsible for building the flyover, CDA and Chattogram City Corporation, which looks after it, are not willing to take any responsibility for what has transpired.