Dhaka-Sylhet Highway 4-laning work
RHD to sign deals with China-BD JV cos today
MUNIMA SULTANA | Monday, 24 October 2022
The long-awaited Dhaka-Sylhet Highway four-lane project work is likely to start -- nearly seven years after its feasibility study -- with selection of two China-Bangladesh joint-venture (JV) companies for expanding the country's second- most important artery.
The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) will sign a Tk 9.25-billion contract with Longjian Road and Bridge Company Ltd of China and Max Infrastructure Ltd of Bangladesh for the 18-km road widening work from Kanchpur intersection to Chanpara.
In another contract of Tk 13.98 billion, Zhengzhou City Highway Engineering Corporation Ltd of China and Max Infrastructure Ltd will carry out the 17-km widening work from Chanpara to Narsingdi BSCIC.
The contract signing ceremony between the RHD and the contractors will be held at a city hotel today (Monday).
Project officials said both the contractors will be responsible for constructing flexible pavements, culverts, bridges, flyover, overpass, underpass, etc. in next four years.
The RHD took the Dhaka-Sylhet four-lane project after a feasibility study in 2015. But its progress has been stuck for seven years due to fund arrangement and contractor selection, significantly increasing the project cost.
The around Tk 13-billion project was in the pipeline of funding by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for carrying out its feasibility study.
But time was lost over a Chinese company's proposal to construct the highway with the Chinese government's fund. The initiative failed due to failure of negotiation between the government and the company.
Now the RHD is implementing the project with the ADB fund. The project cost stands at Tk 169.18 billion, of which the ADB will provide Tk 132.44 billion. However, the government has taken another project in 2018 to acquire land, costing Tk 38.85 billion.
The over 200-km Dhaka-Sylhet Highway is a part of the Asian Highway-1 as well as the SAARC Highway Corridor-5 for having link with Meghalaya of India.
The road's importance is also increasing due to the region's prospect in tourism and economic activities following setting up of economic zones and presence of natural gas.