New shift in traffic system in 2 months

Traffic system in Dhaka and Chattogram will witness a new shift in next two months as Dhaka Elevated Expressway opens on September 02, Karnaphuli Tunnel on October 28 and Agargaon-Motijheel metro in mid-October.
Road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader disclosed these developments at a press conference at Setu Bhaban in the capital on Monday. Bridge secretary Monjur Hossain was present.
He said traffic movement on 11.5 kilometres from Kawla near Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Farmgate would start the following day of the opening by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
She will also inaugurate Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel built under the Karnaphuli on October 28 to establish connectivity between two sides of the port city.
Mr Quader, who is also the ruling Awami League's general secretary, said the premier would inaugurate 150 more bridges in September.
Monday's briefing followed the PM's announcement at a party meeting on Sunday that she would inaugurate Dhaka expressway on September 02.
The Awami League government has also targeted to inaugurate rail connectivity through Padma Bridge from Dhaka to Bhanga by the end of September and Khulna-Mongla rail link in the first week of October.
The ongoing flooding has damaged a portion of Dohazari-Cox's Bazar rail line, but the project office is optimistic that the new track will be opened by September, ahead of the next election schedule.
"Dhaka Elevated Expressway will play a significant role in socio-economic development, including in relieving traffic congestion," claimed Mr Quader at the briefing.
About the toll that was fixed 12 years ago at the time of a concessionaire agreement, he said toll for the PPP project was under discussion as half of the 19.7-km expressway would be used for traffic for now.
The minister said the inaugural part of the Dhaka Elevated Express (DEE) would have 15 ramps for up and down. Of them, 13 would be opened for now.
Two of the ramps are located at airport, three at Kuril, four at Banani, three at Mohakhali, two at Bijoynagar and one at Farmgate.
Of them, one ramp at Banani and one at Mohakhali will not be opened after the September 02 inauguration.
The Tk 89.30-billion DEE project, which is the first major road infrastructure scheme under the Public-Private Partnership module, got a shape more than 12 years after the agreement between the Thai company and the Bangladesh Bridges Authority in January 2011.
The entire expressway will be built from HSIA to Kutubkhali on Dhaka-Chattogram highway touching 31 city points through ramps to get entry and exit of city and highway traffic after the completion by June 2024.
Along with 31 ramps, the total length of the expressway will be 46.73 kilometres.
Mr Quader told the briefing that three-wheelers, motorbikes and pedestrians would not be allowed on the DEE where initial speed limit would be 60 kph.

smunima@yahoo.com