The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has taken up the second project besides the existing one for Dhaka-Mawa road upgrade after the Planning Commission (PC) refused to revise the costlier original version, officials said.
They said the road developer has undertaken a separate project at cost of Tk 41.12 billion for upgrading the 55-kilometre-long road, although it is executing a Tk 62.52 billion project to develop the same road.
Currently, Bangladesh Army on behalf of the department is working on upgrading the Dhaka-Mawa and Pacchor-Bhanga road to four-lane.
"The RHD has recently sent the second project proposal involving Tk 41.12 billion to the Planning Commission for completing the remaining work of the under-construction Dhaka-Mawa road," an official said.
Earlier, the commission refused to revise the Dhaka-Mawa four-lane project about one and a half months ago on the grounds of excessive costs and big changes in the design.
The ministry of road transport and bridges recently sought the revision of the highway upgrades project increasing the cost by some 69 per cent to Tk 105.43 billion.
"We turned down the revision proposal of the Dhaka-Mawa four-lane road due to its higher cost and changes in design. We instructed the implementing agencies to complete the project in time with the existing cost," said a senior commission official.
The commission had recommended the RHD prepare a different project proposal if it is required, he added.
But just after one and a half months, the department has sent a fresh project proposal of Tk 41.12 billion for the remaining work of the ongoing road project, the commission official said.
The under-construction Dhaka-Mawa and Pacchor-Bhanga road is regarded as the costliest road in the world.
Development experts raised question over undertaking two separate projects for a single purpose.
They were also critical of the massive revision of the design and taking up the second project for completing the highway project.
"We are now under pressure to approve the second project. We are not getting even adequate time to scrutinise the fresh project properly," said another senior commission official.
Transport expert and Professor of Civil Engineering Department at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Dr Moazzem Hossain recently said the commission has the authority to scrutinise the project.
"If the commission finds cost escalation for any project and any other loopholes, it should restrict those," he added.
Meanwhile, the department and Bangladesh Army have claimed that they need to take up a separate project considering the changes.
The road is meant to connect the country's impoverished south-western region to the capital while facilitating cross-border transport corridor with India.
According to the second project proposal, the implementing agency has added a 2.33km flyover from Teghoria to Babubazar (Dhaka city), a new bridge over the Kumar River, among other types of work.
Besides, it has proposed changes in the construction materials like replacing stone-chips with the brickbats, extension of earthen work, land acquisition and compensation to the victims and an increase in consultants, officials said.
Project insiders said the implementing agency has given work order to a contractor with higher cost than the official estimation, which is also one of the reasons for revising the project.
The Dhaka-Mawa highway is expected to be completed by June next year.
