Construction work of the much-hyped elevated expressway from Lalkhan Bazar point to Shah Amanat International Airport in the city starts on Sunday.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will unveil the plaque on the day to inaugurate the piling work of a 16.5-kilometre elevated expressway, a Tk 32.5 billion project undertaken by Chittagong Development Authority.
Project officials said the expressway to be set up on 450 pillars and 24 rams at nine points will help reduce traffic congestion.
They said all major intersections on CDA Avenue, the city's main street, will be connected with 24 ramps on the left and right of the expressway so that passengers can reach their destinations quickly avoiding traffic jam.
Besides, the consulting firm will conduct another survey to give necessary directives in this regard, sources said.
A project official said there are six entry and exit gates of the Chittagong Port Authority for cargo and container transport from Barik Building area to Saltgola Rail Crossing area.
Port-bound cargo transport system will face disruption if the pillars for the expressway are constructed at these entry and exit points.
Regarding the probable disruption, project director and executive engineer of CDA Mahfuzur Rahman said they attach highest importance to the port activities.
"We will ensure free movement of port-bound cargo and vehicles as we have made the design of the pillars accordingly. We will expand the distance between the pillars to carry out the port activities smoothly and make the exits and entries of the port free, if necessary," he said.
The construction work of the four-lane expressway will be completed in three phases. In the first phase, the pillars will be constructed in Chittagong Port gate-EPZ section from Barik Building.
In the second phase, work will be done in Lalkhan-Barik Building section and in the last phase, it will be done in Cement Crossing-Patenga section.
Mr Rahman said the pillars will be constructed at the distance of 35-45 metres and so they have to construct 450 pillars for the 16.5-kilometre long expressway.
Meanwhile, soil test of pillar points has already been completed. But piling and load test of pillars are yet to be completed. This will be completed by this month, he added.
He further said maximum height of the pillars will be at Dewanhat and Saltgola Rail Crossing area because these two points have already two flyovers. Saltgola Flyover has reduced port-bound traffic while Dewanhat Flyover eased Dhaka-bound traffic.
Asked about box culvert from Chowmuhani to Barik Building area on Sheikh Mujib Road, he said they will construct the pillars in this area on the road divider of the 120-feet wide road so that box culvert is not disturbed.
A loop or ram will be built at Tiger Pass intersection for New Market-bound passengers while another at Chowmuhani on both sides of the expressway.
Other rams will be constructed at Nimtala Bishwa Road for the Port Connecting Road, Port and Customs House intersection, Chittagong EPZ intersection, Karnaphuli EPZ, Kathgarh, Patenga sea beach and Chittagong Airport.
The expressway will connect Akhtaruzzaman Flyover east end at Bahaddarhat from Lalkhan Bazar via Chittagong WASA, GEC intersection, Sholashahar Rail Gate number 2 and Muradpur intersection.
The Chittagong Airport Expressway project was approved at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council on July 11 in 2017. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting.
Max Ranken JB, a local and foreign joint venture construction firm, was awarded the contract of the mega project last year.
