The government has revised plan to upgrade the existing 4-lane Dhaka-Chattogram Highway to 10-lane from previous 8-lane as the detailed project proposal (DPP) with cost of Taka 732 billion is expected to be finalised by June next.
Roads and Highway Department (R&HD) officials said the physical work of upgrading the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, the prime road-line of the country, is likely to begin by the end of December this year.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, Asian Infrastructure Bank of China have agreed to provide fund jointly for massive expansion of Dhaka-Ctg highway to be considered as country's economic lifeline that is struggling to cope with growing traffic pressure for a long.
Earlier, the R&HD planned to upgrade the highway into 8 lanes but the decision of widening the highway into 10-lane came in last December after taking into account the future requirements.
Md Sabbir Hasan Khan, Additional Chief Engineer of R&HD and Project Director told BSS that R&HD officials and the consultant involved with project have been working relentlessly to prepare the feasibility study report, DPP and tender processing.
He said five foreign and local companies are working on finalizing the project design considering the traffic pressure and constraint of land as the highway will have 10 lanes in some areas while 6 lanes in some other areas for land constraint with being able to manage the traffic pressure.
Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation (SMEC), an Asia-based globally reputed consulting firm, has been engaged in preparing the feasibility report, he said.
"Even if the highway has 10 lanes, the users will get the benefit of 12 lanes expressway. The main road will be 6 lanes. Vehicles have to enter the main road by giving toll. There will be 4 service lanes with two lanes on both sides for slow vehicles," he added.
"There will be toll points on the highway. Barriers will be set up on both sides of the six-lane roads. Plying of vehicles will be restricted up to 80-kilometers per hour on the main road. Local bus, CNG-run 4-whleers and other slow-speed vehicles will run in two side's service lanes," the project director said.
He, however, said the overpass will set up at each intersection of the highway, adding that "we are designing where underpass and foot over bridge will be set up".
Sources said that R&HD has a plan to complete the improvement work of 229 km highway in three phases.
As per the plan, there will be three separate DPP. Among them, the cost of 38 km section between Dhaka, Narayanganj and Munshiganj is estimated at Taka around Tk 82 billion in first phase, cost for the section between Cumilla and Feni covering 125 km estimated at around Tk 460 billion in second phase and the cost for 66 km section from Feni to Chattogram city gate area is estimated at Tk 190 billion in third phase.
Source: BSS
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