Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday inaugurated Airport Road-Rokeya Sarani link road, which will help ease traffic congestion in the city.

The 2.6 km-long and 18.5 metre-wide road from near the Chief Adviser's Office to Agargaon crossing was constructed at a cost of Tk 32.87 crore.

Addressing the opening ceremony, the chief adviser said the government has taken short-, mid- and long-term plans to make Dhaka city a better place to live in.

Referring to the Strategic Transport Plan (SIP) and Detailed Area Plan (DAP) for die development of the city, he said the traffic jam as well as the pollution level would come down to a great extent on completion of die projects within next 15 years.

The new link road would facilitate smoodi movement of vehicles between two parts of the city -- Agargaon. Mirpur, Shyamoli and Mohammadpur on one side and Mohakhali, Banani and Gulshan on the

other side.

Iwo underpasses will be constructed at both ends of the road in the second phase, said Prof Jobaer-bin-Alam of civil engineering department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, who leads a two-member consultant team for the construc-tionoftheroad.

"We hope that the next government will go ahead with the plan for the construction of underpasses,” he said.

Prof Jobaer said the link road would help reduce traffic congestion in the area by about 12 percent.

Engineering Corps of Bangladesh/Army in association with Dhaka City Corporation implemented the project in 140 days.

LGRD Adviser M Anwarul Iqbal, Army Chief Gen Moeen U Ahmed, Navy chiefViceAdmiral Sarwar Jahan Nizam and Air Force Chief Air Marshal SM Ziaur Rahman were also present at the opening ceremony.