Ctg elevated expressway set to partially open by Dec

CHATTOGRAM, Apr 06: The Chattogram Elevated Expressway, the city's first-ever elevated expressway, is set to be completed by next year, with a portion of the roadway scheduled to open to traffic by December of this year in conjunction with the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel.
The opening of the tunnel, which had been scheduled for December of last year but was pushed back to March of this year, has been further delayed, as has the opening of the initial segment of the elevated expressway.
Approved in 2017, the expressway was initially slated for completion in 2022, but the Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), the implementing agency, has requested a deadline extension until 2024 and a cost increase of more than Tk1,200 crore, both of which have been approved by the authorities.
The 10km section of the expressway to be opened by December this year will link Patenga and Nimtola and is expected to improve traffic flow through the Bangabandhu Tunnel.
According to Md Mahfuzur Rahman, the project director and executive engineer of the CDA, "We hope to open the 10km portion of the elevated expressway from Patenga to Nimtola this year along with the opening of the Bangabandhu Tunnel. After opening this section, work on the remaining part of the expressway will continue."
Rahman also noted, "We have made some changes to the design of the expressway. It will now connect with the Akhtaruzzaman Flyover in Lalkhan Bazar, eliminating the need to come down to the road to reach the flyover or the expressway."
The first-ever elevated expressway of Chattogram from the Lalkhan Bazar intersection to Chattogram Shah Amanat International Airport is expected to open to traffic by March of next year.
"The construction of the elevated expressway experienced delays," said M Zahirul Alam Dubash, chairman of CDA, "but we have redesigned the project to prioritise the security of Chittagong port, which is the country's primary seaport. We plan to open a portion of the elevated expressway soon, which will alleviate traffic congestion in the city."
Dubash noted that construction began in February 2019 and that approximately 75% of the project has been completed to date.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the mega-project, the first of its kind in Chattogram, in July 2017.
The project, which involves a cost of Tk 3,250.84 crore, is being implemented with government funds, with CDA overseeing its development.
The objective of the project is to improve transportation between Chattogram city and the southern districts and upazilas, reducing travel distance and expenses for commuters and facilitating transportation to and from Chittagong port and Chattogram Shah Amanat International Airport.

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