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The Chittagong Development Authority has ruled out any further changes to the design of the 16.5km long Airport-Lalkhan Bazar Elevated Expressway, despite objections from the Chittagong City Corporation.
According to sources at the Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), the implementing agency of the project, the alignment of the expressway, which was finalised on June 8, will not be subjected to any further changes.
On August 26, the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) issued a letter asking to rectify the design of Lalkhan Bazar end of expressway, which is already 56 per cent complete at a cost of Tk 3,200.5 crore.
The project was approved by the National Economic Committee ECNEC in 2017, but faced objections from CCC twice before regarding the design.
The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), Chittagong WASA and other agencies, including the Bangladesh Railways, voiced their concerns with the expressway design. The new design was finalised after coordinating with all agencies on June 8, following directives from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), by making changes to the original design in several places.
However, CCC later wrote a letter to the CDA asking it to end the expressway at Tiger Pass, half a kilometre before Lalkhan Bazar.
The proposal was made to preserve the natural beauty of the hills from Tiger Pass to Lalkhan Bazar, the CCC letter claimed.
CDA Chief Engineer Kazi Hasan Shams told The Business Post, “There is no need to change the design of the elevated expressway, and the CCC proposal no longer needs to be considered.”
“The design of the project has been finalised under the direction of the PMO so that no one else has any objection in this regard,” he added.
CDA sources said the PMO directed that the elevated expressway would connect Shah Amanat International Airport with Lalkhan Bazar area and the 6.5km-long Aktharuzzaman flyover from Lalkhan Bazar to Murad Pur.
Initially, there was a proposal to build the 16km expressway from Shah Amanat Bridge to Tiger Pass in the city. But, the plan was finalised by extending the length of the expressway by another half a kilometre to Lalkhan Bazar as per the directions of the PMO.
The road from Tiger Pass to Lalkhan Bazar is a hill path which is only 90 feet wide.
Environmentalists and a section of the civil society opposed the extension of the elevated expressway from Tiger Pass to Lalkhan Bazar to preserve the famous natural beauty of the areas.
CCC Chief Engineer Rafiqul Islam said, “We want to talk to CDA regarding the issue, so that the opinions of city dwellers get reflected. Although the letter has been sent to the CDA authorities in this regard, they have not replied yet.”
However, Hasan Shams said, “According to the existing design of the CDA, the expressway is basically four lanes, but the Tiger Pass-Lalkhan Bazar part will be two lanes so that there is no need to cut the hills.”
“We are currently preparing another supplementary proposal to be sent to the concerned ministry on a number of issues, including increasing the cost of the project, in light of the design finalised on June 8.
“But the new proposal will not take into account the City Corporation’s suggestion of a design change,” he confirmed.
The road from Patenga Shah Amanat Airport to Lalkhan Bazar is the busiest road in the country’s prime port city Chattogram, connecting Chittagong Port, Chittagong Export Processing Area and Agrabad Commercial Area.
At least 10,500 vehicles cross every hour at the Dewan Haat point of the road, according to a survey of conducted by UNDP.
Although the expressway construction was supposed to start in 2017 and end by 2021, the project faced delays while working at the Agrabad area due to WASA’s underground drainage works.
Meanwhile, the project faced another obstruction while working from Barik Building junction to the Saltgola crossing, where there are five jetty gates of Chittagong Port, following objections from the CPA.
Apart from that, due to the proximity of Marine Drive and Karnaphuli Tunnel to the airport side of the expressway, there were further delays while resolving the complexities.
Currently, the project is expected to be completed by June 2023 following an extending to the implementing period, CDA sources said.
