A South Korea-led joint venture will work as the project implementation consultant (PIC) for the regional corridor (Elenga to Rangpur) development project.
Led by the Korea Consultants International (KCI) Company Ltd., the joint venture comprises companies from Japan, Germany, the Philippines, India and Bangladesh.
The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) signed a Tk 3.79 billion contract with the Korean company at a ceremony in the city on Thursday.
Under the deal, the joint venture will carry out mainly supervision consultancy work for the construction of four-lane Elenga-Hatikamrul national highway, among other assignments.
RHD Chief Engineer Ibne Alam Hasan and KCI President Soo Dong Park signed the contract on behalf of their respective sides.
Roads Transport and Highways Division secretary Nazrul Islam along with Head of Portfolio Management Unit of Asian Development Bank Tika Limbu were present at the signing ceremony.
According to officials, KCI will work in a team with Chodai Company Limited of Japan, HP Gauff Ingenieure GmbH and Company KG-JBG of Germany, Lea Associates South Asia Private Limited of India and SooSung Engineering Company Ltd.
BCL Associates Limited, BETS Consulting Services Ltd. and Development Technical Consultants Pvt. Ltd. of Bangladesh and Philkoei International of the Philippines will assist the joint venture.
As per the contract, the team will provide professional and expert support in reviewing and confirming detailed design of the 190.4 kilometre main carriageway of the Elenga-Hatikamrul-Rangpur road and in preparing detailed design for Hatikamrul interchange.
Besides, they will carry out independent inspection of road maintenance, performance monitoring and safeguard implementation and provide support in developing RHD's road operation unit and a road research and training centre.
The RHD has taken the Tk 118.99 billion project to construct the regional corridor from Elenga to Rangpur via Hatikamrul after completing a feasibility study and detailed design in 2015 with the technical assistance from ADB.
The project, known as SASEC Road Connectivity Project II, was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on September 6, 2016.
Under the project, separate lane for slow-moving traffic, three flyovers, one railway overpass, 1.5 km interchange at Hatikamrul and 38 underpasses will be constructed, apart from four-lane main carriageway.
