Eastern Dhaka bypass project cost to go up by 185.30pc

The project cost to widen the Eastern Dhaka Bypass into a four-lane one is going to be increased by 185.30 per cent as it requires more land acquisition.

The government initiated the project to widen the 48-kilometre stretch of the bypass from Joydebpur of Gazipur to Madanpur of Narayangaj via Debgram and Bhulta to mitigate the traffic congestion of the capital.

The cost of the project has now been revised at Tk 674.76 crore from that of Tk 236.50 crore and it will be implemented by June 2025, said a senior official at the planning ministry.

Apart from the cost, the tenure of the project is also going to be extended by four more years, he told The Business Post on Monday.

The executive committee of the National Economic Council is likely to approve the revised cost and extended tenure on Tuesday.

The ECNEC had approved the initial project in March 2016 which was scheduled to be completed by June 2020.

Once implemented, freight vehicles from the country's northern and western regions would be able to easily reach Chattogram without entering the capital.

The Roads and Highways Department is implementing the Dhaka bypass project and it will be constructed under Public-Private Partnership.

The financial progress of the ongoing project is Tk 173.60 crore till December 2020, which is 73.41 per cent of the total project cost.

Sources at the RHD said the project was sent to the Planning Commission for the amendment as the cost and tenure of the project had increased.

Under the project, 5.22 hectares of land is required to be acquired. Tk 401.30 crore will be needed for the land acquisition.

RHD Additional Chief Engineer Md Sabuj Uddin Khan said the cost and time of the project is increasing mainly for land acquisition.