Slow flyover construction set to hit timely beginning of MRT work

Slow construction of the Moghbazar-Malibagh-Mouchak flyover has made the authorities worried about timely beginning of the 20-kilometre Mass Rapid Transit Line (MRT)-6 project work.
Project insiders said the Dhaka MRT Development (DMRTD) Project officials find it a challenge to carry out construction work of entire MRT line-6 at a time managing heavy traffic in the narrow road of the congested Dhaka city.
But this worry has put them into another anxiety as the construction work of over 8.0 km Moghbazar-Malibagh-Mouchak flyover is unlikely to be completed by then.
The Dhaka city-dwellers have already been experiencing unbearable traffic gridlock almost everyday since the Moghbazar-Malibagh-Mouchak construction work began almost two years ago.
Due to lack of traffic management plan and fund, the Moghbazar-Malibagh-Mouchak flyover project has caused a total mess in the city's traffic system.
The DMRTD project has set a target to start the MRT project construction work by the end of 2016. But sources said with the way the Moghbazar-Malibagh-Mouchak flyover is progressing, it is unlikely to complete it by next year as fixed by its implementing agency -- Local Government Engineering Department (LGED).
The LGED under the ministry of local government and rural development (LGRD) and cooperatives officially started the flyover project on February 16, 2013 with a two-year timeframe.
Sources said construction of the flyover has been planned in three parts but only 40 per cent work could be completed until now. However, the work of one part of the flyover which will start from Shantinagar and go towards Malibagh is yet to start in full swing.
Taking the flyover project a lesson, the DMRTD project has already started ground work on traffic management and held meetings to take preparation in this regard.
"We have to start the MRT line-6 work within next two years. So we are worried about the slow progress of the Moghbazar-Malibagh flyover," said Project Director Mofazzel Hossain.
He said the MRT project has already started groundwork to manage heavy traffic in the narrowed city road which would further decrease during the construction work of the MRT.
Project officials said for the MRT-6 project, the Moghbazar-Malibagh flyover project is a learning case and it has already started preparing traffic management plan.
They said the construction work of the entire 20 km line from Uttara to Motijheel will start at a time dividing the work among six contractors.
"We are trying to ensure smooth traffic system for which a management plan is being prepared so that commuters do not suffer during the construction period," said an official preferring not to be named
The DMRTD project has planned to propose guidelines to take some major decisions like better management of junction, carrying construction during night, derouting traffic of different areas etc.
 "But everything would be in a mess if the construction of the Moghbazar-Malibagh flyover is not completed when the MRT work will start," said the official.
The 20.1 km MRT line will be constructed along the middle of the existing roads to cross Pallabi, Mirpur-10, Rokeya Sarani, Farmate, Sonargaon, Shahbagh, Doyel Chattar, Press Club and Bangladesh Bank. It will also have 16 stations to get into and off the faster commuter train service to be constructed simultaneously during the construction period.