A portion of the under-construction elevated expressway will be opened to traffic by the year-end to facilitate vehicular movement to and from the port city through Bangabandhu Tunnel which awaits inauguration in December.
Officials said, implementing agency of the over Tk 32.50 billion expressway project, the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA), has decided to open the expressway's 10 kilometres portion, connecting Patenga with Nimtola, for the movement of public transport in December, 2022.
The 10-km portion will be opened by the year-end to avoid gridlock and facilitate smooth traffic in and around the city as fears were growing recently that the opening of Bangabandhu Tunnel may trigger traffic congestion as vehicular movement in the city will increase many-fold from the current level following the opening of the tunnel under Karnaaphuli River which connects Chattogram's northern part with the south, they said.
CDA's Executive Engineer and Project Director (PD) Md Mahfuzur Rahman said, "We hope to open the Patenga-Nimtola 10-km portion for traffic in December. After opening this portion, the construction work in other part will go on in full swing."
Contacted, CDA Chairman M Zahirul Alam Dubash said 70 per cent work of the entire expressway has already been completed.
Cleared by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in July 2017, construction work of the expressway was kicked off in February 2019.
The project's implementation time was delayed twice earlier due to the coronavirus outbreak and an objection given by the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) seeking to stop its construction in an area which was under its jurisdiction.
However, the problem was solved by bringing about a change to the original design of the project, assuring the CPA that the port's security will remain unharmed if the expressway is built bypassing the area under its jurisdiction.
He said once completed, the entire expressway will connect the city's Lalkhan Bazar with Patenga's Shah Amanat International Airport area.
The official also said that construction of the entire project which was scheduled to be completed in 2022 has been delayed once again. The implementing authority sent a letter recently to the concerned ministry seeking an extension of time by two years. If approved, the entire expressway will be formally opened to the public in 2024, he added.
