Uncertainty shrouds the launch of Dhaka Elevated Expressway again as the government last month reduced its length by four kilometres to bypass conflict with Gulistan-Jatrabari flyover and avoid some land acquisition complexities.
The 21-kilometer expressway has now been reduced to 17 kilometres and will run up to the Shaheed Mostafa Kamal Stadium instead of
Kutubkhali on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway. Besides, it has to have a connecting route with the underconstruction Gulistan-Jatrabari flyover as per a decision of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina taken on May 17.
The cut in the expressway's length will slash the project cost by Tk 1,000 crore. But it has created a host of new challenges involving financial feasibility and fresh technical and traffic studies. Many
aspects of this project are now set to change.
The project's implementer Ital-Thai Development Public Company has to go back to the drawing board for design changes. Moreover, to connect it with the Gulistan-Jatrabari flyover, there has to be an understanding with that project's implementer.
Experts apprehend resolving these problems may take a long time resulting in runner aeiay m the construction. As per the original plan, the construction was scheduled to start in July last year with 42 months time to complete it.
Apart from the cut in length, two of the expressway ramps — one in Tejgaon and the other in Shantibagh — have been removed from the plan due to landacquisition difficulties. A ramp is a narrow road used to get in and get down from the expressway.
"Integrating the expressway with Gulistan-Jatrabari flyover will be a daunting task. The government has to negotiate with the investors of both projects to reach a solution," Prof Shamsul Hoque, member of the expressway experts' team, told The Daily Star.
He said the fate of the expressway depends on how quickly the government sits with the two investors and reaches an amicable solution.
The new decision, however, is likely to minimise land acquisition-related difficulties. The government could not complete land acquisition for the project as hundreds of houses in the deleted four-kilometre part in Jatrabari needed to be demolished and people needed to be compensated with huge money, Prof Hoque added.
He said the investor will come up with a revised proposal since the cut will reduce the number of traffic using the expressway and thus the investor's revenue.
Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) signed a Tk 8,703-crore deal with Itai-Thai Development Public Company on January 20 last year to build the elevated expressway from the Shahjalal International Airport to Kutubkhali under public-private partnership.
According to the agreement, both parties were required to finish a set of vital preparatory work to start the construction within six months. But BBA failed to complete acquisition of land, while the inves-
tor failed to manage budget that delayed the construction.
Montchai Munsicadud, managing director of Itai-Thai, said his company accepted the prime minister's proposal to cut the expressway length, but said they would go ahead with the project if it is viable for them.
With the changed context, he said Itai-Thai will carry out fresh financial, technical and traffic study before giving opinions to the government.
"We will start our study once we get formal letter regarding slashing of alignment," he told The Daily Star, claiming that they have managed funds for the expressway project.
He said his company is interested to implement the project, but it has to be feasible for them. He urged the government to resolve all the problems regarding alignment and land acquisition so that construction can be started soon.
Prof Hoque said the premier ordered the BBA and the contractor of Gulistan-Jatrabari flyover to sit and reach an understanding about integrating the expressway with it.
Meanwhile, President of Itai-Thai Premchai Karnsauta flew in Dhaka yesterday to discuss the latest development of the elevated expressway with Communications Minister Obaidul Quader.
"We had a fruitful meeting. Itai-Thai has assured me of resuming construction of the expressway in next three months," Quader told The Daily Star.
THE EXPRESSWAY
As per the original design, the main expressway route starts from the Shahjalal International Airport and runs along the rail alignment through Mohakhali, Tejgaon, Moghbazar and Kamalapur Railway Station. It then touches Golapbagh, south of Kamalapur stadium, and east of Jatrabari before connecting Dhaka-Chittagong Highway near Kutubkhali.
Its total length was 42 kilometres with two elevated links of five kilometres and seven interchanges and 35 ramps of 16 kilometres. Vehicles from different directions will have the options to travel from one place to another.
The first elevated link will connect Manik Mia Avenue-Holy Cross College-Tejgaon Crossing, while the second one will touch Palashi-Kataban-Hatirpool-Hotel Sonargaon (rear)-Moghbazar level crossing. The interchange points are Kuril, Cantonment, Banani,
Farmgate, ShaheedTajuddin Road, Moghbazar and Kamalapur.
There will be 11 toll plazas and toll for end-to-end journey on the expressway will be Tk 125 for cars, jeeps and other light vehicles. The rate will be double for buses, four times for six-wheel trucks, and five times for above six-wheel trucks.
The guaranteed traffic on the expressway is 13,500 vehicles per day, while the traffic transaction ceiling is 80,000 vehicles per day. The revenue sharing will be 25
percent for the government and 75 percent for concessionaire (for exceeding traffic transaction ceiling).
The deadline to kick off construction has been shifted twice since signing of the deal. It was shifted to March this year as the government failed to resolve land-acquisition problems and the contractors failed to manage funds.
Amid this situation, Itai-Thai in July last year suspended its primary activities like piling and soil tests it has been doing since signing of the deal.