Planned DCC underpasses may botch up jam-remedial schemes

Munima Sultana
Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) has taken up a plan to construct four underpasses on the city's Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue within a one-kilometre radius, which, according to experts, may disturb metro-like traffic jam remedial projects.
DCC officials said the underpasses have been planned from Shahbagh to Sonargaon intersection to help hundreds of thousands of vehicles avoid road crossings, which often cause traffic jam to spread in and around the area.
They said the devices have become necessary as the motorised vehicles remain stranded for a long time at each of the four signal points within a short range.
A study of Roads and Highways said there are at least 50 major intersections on the 25km road in the city coupled with six to eight lanes, which forces a vehicle to cross six intersections on a 2km road.
Officials at the communications ministry said the underpass construction project may turn out to be in contradiction with the ministry's various projects taken up to ease the city's unbearable traffic jam.
They said a number of projects are in progress to construct metro rail, bus rapid transit (dedicated buses) and overpasses centring Nazrul Islam Avenue with which the DCC project does not match.
"Besides the DCC project has no consistency with the city's 20 years long strategic transport plan," said an official.
Dhaka Transport Coordination Board, formed to mainly coordinate the STP with the city's infrastructure projects, has already objected to the DCC plan and requested the ministry to hold an inter-ministerial meeting.
The official said the meeting to be held Monday will try to find out the solution if any inconsistency with the DCC planned underpasses is found with other traffic congestion remedial projects.
"We do not know about the DCC alignment, where the underpasses have been planned. We also do not know whether it would be in conflict with the govenrment's other traffic jam related projects," the official said hoping that the meeting will help in finding the best solution.
He said in the present context, underpasses may be necessary for the city, but it must have consistency with the ongoing projects.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency-funded study under DTCB has preliminarily selected the Pallabi to Sayedabad route for constructing the country's first metro rail, which is likely to cross the entire Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue from Bijoy Sarani. One of the STP-suggested BRT routes is also likely to cross the same road.
Besides, the government has already undertaken the Hatirjheel development project close to Sonargaon crossing, where two overpasses have also been planned.
The inter-ministerial meeting which will be chaired by communications minister Syed Abul Hossain is set to be attended by representatives from local government engineering department, DCC, DTCB, roads and railway division.