Ctg Elevated Expressway
Sufferings to linger for 2 more years
The deadline to complete the construction of the Chattogram elevated expressway has been extended for two more years. Meanwhile, the immense suffering of the port city residents in their daily commute is to continue.
The long delay in implementing the project taken in 2017 has become a headache for the city dwellers since the bad shape of roads in many parts, coupled with the gridlock along the main thoroughfare that is narrowed down for the works has been subjecting them to daily difficulties.
Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) is implementing the expressway stretching over a 16-kilometre length from Lalkhan Bazar to Shah Amanat International Airport.
Commuters are currently facing problems while crossing Lalkhan Bazar to Tigerpass as pilling recently started at this half-kilometre area narrowing it down and causing an acute traffic jam.
Kalam Mia, driver of a city bus plying on Route-10, said crossing this part is a hectic job as it sometimes takes more than half an hour due to gridlock.
Moreover, the road has been damaged badly with hundreds of potholes, he said.
"We, the port city residents, now pray for the completion of this project to get rid of such regular sufferings."
Abdul Kader, staff of a clearing and forwarding agent who needs to travel from his residence at Muradpur to Chattogram Customs every day, said he has been facing problems while travelling between his residence and workplace twice a day for the last three years due to construction at 2-kilometre-long Sheikh Mujib Road part from Dewanhat to Barik Building Moor.
As fences in that area have been removed a few months back, the gridlock situation improved a little. However, the road remains in a bad shape in many portions even after repair works, he said.
Apart from facing acute gridlock and a bumpy journey, there is the issue of dust pollution as well.
Towhidul Alam, who works at a private bank in Agrabad Commercial area, said, "It is hard to get a CNG-run autorickshaw to travel the road as most of them are unwilling to cross the area. Even if you find any, the fares are almost unaffordable."
They (three-wheeler drivers) also charge an additional Tk 20 to 40 if you request them to take alternative roads via Commerce College or Pathantooli roads for avoiding the main thoroughfare, he said.
While admitting it, Malek Shah, driver of an autorickshaw, said the alternative roads also remain stuck all day as most vehicles opt to use those.
The government approved the project in July 2017, aiming to ease traffic gridlock in the city as well as ensuring smooth travel between the city centre, two export processing zones and the international airport at Patenga.
The construction work started the following year.
The original cost of the project was estimated at Tk 3250.84 crore while the deadline to complete the project was fixed by June 2020.
The deadline has been extended two more times.
CDA, for the third time, proposed to extend the deadline till June 2024 and Ecnec last week approved the proposal.
CDA executive engineer and also project director Md Mahafuzur Rahman said a major change in the alignment was needed due to opposition from the Chattogram Port Authority since a vital area of the port lies in the project site.
A senior official in the Housing and Public Works Ministry said the project was taken hastily without conducting a feasibility study thoroughly and that is why alignment and designs needed to change as problems faced at the construction stage, delaying the construction further.
To date, the project saw 75 percent physical progress.
Noted Economist and former professor of Chittagong University Muinul Islam said, "We, the port city residents, now pray for the completion of this project to get rid of such regular sufferings."
The economist, however, thinks that people may have to suffer a few more years as the work is progressing slowly.