Upgradation may begin in June next yr

CHATTOGRAM, Sept 04: The expansion work of the four-lane Dhaka-Chattogram Highway to 10 lanes may begin in June next year after completion of all required procedures.
Besides, the Development Project Proposal (DPP) is expected to be completed this year. The government has revised its earlier plan to upgrade the four-lane highway to eight lanes at an estimated cost of Tk 732 billion.
Appointed consultant Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation (SMEC) already completed the feasibility study for the widening project and submitted the study report in June.
A total of five foreign and local companies are working on finalising the project design taking into account traffic pressure and land constraint as the highway will have 10 lanes in some points and six lanes in some other points.
Project Director and Additional Chief Engineer of Roads and Highways Department (RHD) Md Sabbir Hasan Khan said that the project work might begin in June in 2026. The RHD has started working to determine which sections of the highway will have six lanes and which will have ten lanes. RHD officials and the consultant are working tirelessly to prepare DPP and tender documents.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and other donor agencies will finance the project. The authorities are expected to float tenders this year. The ADB, the WB and the AIIB are reviewing the study report which is expected to be completed this year. At the same time, RHD officials said, the detailed design of the project will hopefully be prepared by this year.
Sources said that the RHD plans to complete the work of the 229-km highway in three phases and there will be three separate DPPs. Of them, the cost of 38-km section between Dhaka, Narayanganj and Munshiganj is estimated at around Tk 82 billion in the first phase, while the 125-km Cumilla-and-Feni part and the 66-km stretch from Feni to Chattogram City Gate will cost around Tk 460 billion and Tk 190 billion respectively.

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