Problems arise, as both BBA, RHD work out plans

Fresh complexities have arisen over implementation of the proposed Dhaka-Chittagong Expressway Project, following the government's policy shift from its original plan of constructing the superhighway on the country's prime corridor.
Sources said the complexities have surfaced after the Prime Minister has recently given her nod to a proposal of Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) to construct the expressway through elevated way.
Last year, approval was given to the route of a similar project of Roads and Highways Department (RHD) to construct the expressway with options of both at-grade and elevated way.
After getting the PM's signature to its summary BBA has invited expression of interest (EOI) to appoint a consultant for conducting feasibility study to find options of total elevated expressway with rail-line. But RHD has almost completed detailed design of the alignment, they added.
Since 2014, Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been supporting RHD to conduct the feasibility study by providing technical support to the public-private project worth US$ 10 million.
When contacted, officials of both the agencies under the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges (MoRTB) could not make it clear which project will be implemented or will be dropped from the government's plan.
Even they are also in the dark whether both the expressways will be constructed on the country's economic lifeline. It might also happen, as the volume of traffic will increase sharply after opening of various regional corridors, like - Asian Highways, BCIM, BBIN etc, having linkage with Chittagong Port.
RHD officials said the department's project has almost reached the tendering process. The money spent for the feasibility study, detailed design and so on will go down the drain, if the government now scraps the project.
They also said in the RHD's feasibility study, the scope of expressway in totally elevated form with the provision of rail-line was studied. But it was dropped due to technical difficulties and three times more cost involvement in implementation.
But BBA officials said provision of at-grade in the RHD's proposed Dhaka-Chittagong expressway will create block to the expressway's main objective of allowing 100-kilometre driving on the access-controlled highway.
Besides, it will cause total isolation of localities on both sides of the corridor, as at-grade part of the expressway will be blocked through walls, they added.
"It will be difficult to keep the block on the expressway as well as to make people isolated due to lack of option to cross from one side to another," said an official.
"So, the main objective of ensuring high-speed driving on the expressway to reach from Dhaka to Chittagong and vice versa within two to three hours will not be possible, as the people will try to cross the expressway and break the wall," he added.
He further said only elevated form of expressway can ensure uninterrupted driving. It is leant that BBA's move was in line with a proposal made by a Chinese company to construct Dhaka-Chittagong Elevated Expressway on build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) basis.
On the other hand, there is allegation against RHD of keeping at-grade option in its expressway project, so that BBA cannot claim the project as per the law.  The government has recently passed the BBA Act, allowing it to construct bridges over 1.5 kilometres and elevated expressways.
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