CHATTOGRAM, Dec 20: The construction work of the Chattogram Elevated Expressway will not end within the scheduled time in March next year as the implementing agency has sought a time of over one year to finish the multi-billion Taka project.
Chattogram Development Authority or CDA is implementing the over Tk 32.5 billion project aiming to ease the port city's gridlock and developing the city's road communication with Chattogram district's southern upazilas and also neighbouring districts in the south, including Cox's Bazar via the Bangabandhu Tunnel.
Earlier, the concerned authority put back by several months opening of the Bangabandhu Tunnel to public traffic as the targeted time to complete construction of the dual lane tunnel could not be met for various reasons.
Officials said, the elevated expressway, which was approved by the government in July 2017, was scheduled to be partly opened for movement of public transport within March next year. But the implementing agency could not complete this part of the mega project for various reasons, including coronavirus outbreak, and it recently made an appeal to the concerned ministry seeking an extension of the project implementation time to mid 2024 along with a request for a cost enhancement.
If approved, the cost to complete the mega project will increase by Tk 1.2 billion more, they said.
Earlier, the CDA had fixed December this year for opening to public traffic a 10-kilometre portion of the expressway from the city's Patenga to Nimtola. But later, the implementing agency rescheduled to March 2022 opening of this portion of the expressway to public traffic as the Bangabandhu Tunnel under the river Karnaphuli was also scheduled for opening to traffic in that month.
Sources said, 75 per cent physical work of the expressway project has already been completed and the remaining works were set to end in December 2022.
With 75% work done, the implementing authority sent a letter recently to the concerned ministry seeking extension of time until mid 2024 along with a plea for Tk 1,200 more to meet an increase in the project cost due to time extension and a hike in prices of materials needed to construct the whole project. If the request is approved, the project is likely to be completed some times in 2024, officials said.
However, a CDA official involved with implementation of the project said, with the completion of 75% work, the 10-km part of the expressway from the city's Lalkhan Bazar Intersection to Chattogram Shah Amanat International Airport is expected to partially open to traffic by the March next.
Talking to the FE, CDA's Executive Engineer and Project Director (PD) Md Mahfuzur Rahman said, they hope the 10 km portion of the expressway can be opened to public transport in March 2023.
According to the PD, after opening this portion, construction work on the remaining part of the overhead highway will be continued in full gear, targeting to have the entire project done in 2024.
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