A four-lane road construction project from Joydevpur to Elenga is likely to be revised both in terms of cost and implementation period due to its changed design with new components and widened scope of works.
The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has sought Tk 59.97 billion, which is 78 per cent higher than the existing (revised) cost of Tk 33.64 billion, to implement the project by an extended period up to June 2020, officials said Monday.
As a result, the project will be delayed by nearly two years from the existing deadline of March 2018.
An official at the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges (MoRT&B) said the cost will then go up by 115 per cent from the original cost of Tk 27.88 billion estimated in 2013, when the government approved the Joydevpur-Chandra-Tangail-Elenga four-lane road upgradation project.
The government has already extended the cost of the 70-kolometre Joydevpur-Elenga road upgradation project on two occasions.
"We sought revision from the Planning Commission with higher cost and extended implementation time," said the ministry official.
A Planning Commission (PC) official said they were scrutinising the project before going for the revision.
According to the RHD, the project design has been changed with some new components and extended scope of works, resulting in higher cost and extended time for execution.
The RHD will construct 13 new underpasses and some passenger sheds. Besides, costs for some components had already been increased and the cost for building the RHD headquarters went up.
Asian Development Bank (ADB), OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) and Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (AFfD) made commitment to provide Tk 18.43 billion out of a total Tk 27.88 billion cost of the project.
Later in January 2014, the government revised the project enhancing the cost to Tk 30.67 billion. As the RHD failed to execute the project timely, the MoRT&B made a special revision in March 2016, raising the cost to Tk 33.65 billion.
The RHD official said they had already completed nearly 50 per cent of the road upgradation work as earth filling at most part of the project sites had already been completed.
"We are hopeful about completing the entire works within the new deadline on June 2020," said the official said.
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