City Reporter: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated 12 projects including the country’s second largest Chittagong Elevated Expressway. On Tuesday (November 14) at 11:05 PM, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina connected online and inaugurated 12 projects in Chittagong.
These are – Patenga Container Terminal, Bay-Terminal Master Plan, construction of 684 flats for government officials and employees in 9 multi-storied buildings on the site of 11 dilapidated buildings in CGS Colony in Agrabad area of Chittagong, construction of government residential flats and dormitories in abandoned houses in Chittagong city, Bangmata from Faujdarhat to Bayezid Bostami. Construction of Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Road, Sirajuddaula Road to Shah Amanat Bridge Link Road (Baklia Access Road), Chittagong Medical University, Construction of Anwara-Foujdarhat Gas Transmission Pipeline, Construction of Chittagong-Feni-Bakhrabad Gas Transmission Parallel Pipeline, Construction of Gas Pipeline for Mirsrai Economic Zone And KGDCL gas distribution network upgradation and construction of 121 meter long Vellapara Bridge over Murali Canal at 252 km of Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar National Highway.
It is known that Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) is implementing one of the largest elevated expressway projects. The 16 km long expressway from Lalkhan Bazar to Patenga in the city is 54 feet wide. However, even after the inauguration, it may take another month to start traffic through this airport.
CDA Chief Engineer Kazi Hasan Bin Shams said that although the expressway has been inaugurated, some work is still pending. They will be finished in a month. When it is activated, a distance of 16 km can be covered in just 20 minutes. Domestic and international air passengers will benefit from this and traffic congestion in Chittagong city will also be reduced. The loss due to traffic jams in terms of wastage of fuel, man-hours of work, flight mishaps, etc., is immeasurable.
According to CDA sources, the four-lane expressway will have 14 ramps. Among them, there will be one ramp at GEC Junction, two at Tigerpass, four at Agrabad, one at Fakirhat, two at Nimtala, two at CEPZ and two at KEPZ area. However, the construction of these ramps has not started yet. Currently, the construction of the main flyover is being completed rapidly. After that, the ramp and other construction works will start.
4 thousand 298 crore 95 lakh taka is being spent on the construction of Chittagong Elevated Expressway. During the approval of the project in 2017, the project cost was estimated at 3 thousand 250 crores. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone for the construction of the project on February 24, 2019, almost two years after approval. The project was supposed to be completed in June 2020, but it was not.
