Only 10 per cent progress has been made in the Dhaka Elevated Expressway (DEE) project, although the first phase work from Uttara to Mohakhali was supposed to be completed by this time.
Sources said the implementing agency has so far made 25 per cent progress in the first phase work.
The contractor of the first public-private partnership project in road infrastructure could complete only 110 piers out of 350, they added.
The government announced launching of the construction work several times since signing the contract on December 15, 2013.
According to the Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA), the executing agency of the Tk 89.40 billion project, the construction work was formally launched in August 2015 after handing over part of the acquired land to the contractor.
Sources said the project was still facing various problems including financial one which led to the slow progress of the project.
Contractor or concessionaire Italian-Thai Public Development Ltd continued with its physical work from its equity as it has yet to get financiers for the project taken up to reduce traffic congestion in the city, they added.
As per a progress report until June, only 24.9 per cent progress has been made in the first phase work. Overall progress in the project was 9.28 per cent. Piling work of 1,092 piles out of 1,514 was done.
They said the project steering committee discussed the issues of slow progress at its meeting on July 12 and directed the BBA to hold an inter-ministerial meeting aiming to resolve the problems and speed up the project work.
Officials, however, said the DEE project was formally commenced on April 01 this year after announcing the start of 25 years of concession period of the PPP project.
Though officials admitted that the project was facing a lot of challenges since its inception, many of those problems had already been resolved.
But the BBA is yet to get the financial closure. It was expected to disclose the company's source of funding for the project. It got six-month time for submitting the financial report.
According to the revised concessional agreement signed with the Thai company on December 15, 2013, the 25-year concessional period was supposed to commence from the day of the construction.
As per the contract, the construction work was supposed to be completed in three phases within 42 months.
The total length of the DEE is planned to be 47km from HSIA to Shonir Akhra of Dhaka-Chattogram Highway along with five ramps.
smunima@yahoo.com