Expressway, MRT curve onto collision course

A fresh conflict has developed over the routing of the much-hyped metro rail and the Dhaka elevated expressway (DEE) which may further decelerate the process of implementation of the two major traffic congestion-remedial projects in the capital.
Officials and experts attributed such complication to lack of coordination among executing agencies. Routes of both the high-end commuting ways were revised by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) time and again.
They said the MRT route was redrawn by the PMO in January 2012, diverting the elevated rail line towards Khamarbari from Rokeya Sarani. It was done after Bangladesh Air Force refused to give clearance for the speedy train to cross Bijoy Sarani to reach Farmgate.
But the DEE route was revised in coordination with the PMO later on as the Prime Minister also cut the ramp of the expressway at Farmgate to avoid conflict following her decision to change the MRT route.
The DEE Farmgate ramp was planned to touch the ground near Khamarbari based on the concessionaire agreement signed with the government as public-private-partnership (PPP) project in January 2011.
Sources said the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line-6 and the DEE faced the fresh conflicts at three points. Farmgate is one. The issue of traffic jam crept when the DEE construction was about to start on the revised route which was approved in the middle part of 2013.  
They said among the three Gordian knots, conflict at Farmgate is considered the most critical as the elevated metro has to cross the area with two frequent turnings within a short distance, and another to touch the ground at its ramp on the same point by using alternate road.
 "It would be hard to find an amicable solution to the conflict at Farmgate for both MRT and DEE projects as two routes face a collision within a congested area using same park located there," said an official, preferring not to be named.
The Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development (DMRTD project office last week held a meeting with the Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA), the executing agency of the US$ 1.2 billion DEE project, for coordination. But, sources, said it ended sans any solution.
Both the projects being important and indispensable, the sources said, neither side was ready to compromise on the ground that one project (DEE) is ready to start and the other (MRT) being amass transport or is still in design stage.
The dilemma hangs on as they picked arguments that the MRT is the priority one, listed as one of the fast-track projects of the government, while the DEE will have heavy impact on reducing street loads on highways and city traffic.
There were two other sticky points as well, which surfaced during a recent coordination meeting. These twin debates centered round Sonargaon crossing where the MRT has to set up a station but the DEE in its revised design planned to take a lane towards Palashi through the area.
Another point of hitch was identified on Atish Dipankar road which may hinder the MRT's planned future extension from the Bangladesh Bank to connect it with Jatrabari area.
The entire DEE route has been planned through the railway corridor from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Dhaka-Chittagong highway, crossing over Mohakhali, Moghbazar and Kamlapur. It has a provision of several ramps to take in city and highway traffic loads from different points.  
Under the DMRT project, a Japanese firm under a joint venture is now working on the detailed design of the establishment of $2.7 billion MRT line with sites of stations.
Though the consultants who had conducted the feasibility study in 2011 recommended the 20.0km MRT route between Mirpur and Motijheel, crossing Bijoy Sarani, for avoiding sharp turning in the congested Farmgate area, the design consultants are now working on the PMO-revised route.
Due to the change, the MRT has to take a good portion of the green area of Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban to manage speed and turning of the high-tech train to cross the entire area.
It is learnt that the Japanese consultants have worked out a plan to cross the elevated lane like S pattern behind a local eye hospital using the Dhaka City Corporation park of Farmgate. But the Thai concessionaire (contractor) of the DEE public-private-partnership project adjusted the revised ramp on the other side of the road by using the same park.
When contacted, officials of Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) said they were not aware of the change to the DEE route though the BBA signed revised agreement with the Italian Thai Development company in December 2013 following the route revision.
The government formed the DTCA in an act to coordinate all transport- related projects, including mass-transport projects.
BBA officials said after the PMO decision to cut the DEE ramps at different points, the DEE concessionaire finalized the changes in consultation with the PMO office.
Finally, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs endorsed the revised DEE route. And a fresh agreement was signed on the remake.
The DTCA is aware of the changes as it is one of the BBA board members, said an official when asked about vetting the revised DEE route from the DTCA as the coordinating authority.