Construction of Access Road remains suspended for five months

Suspension of construction work of the underpass of Chittagong Port Access Road hampers movement of vehicles causing traffic jam. PHOTO: STAR

The row over the demand of share for toll cast uncertainty over the timely implementation of the Tk 97 crore project financed by the Asian Development Bank for the 13-km Chittagong Port Access Road. After completion, it would be opened as the Access Controlled Toll Road.

The CCC asked the Roads & Highways authorities in February not to continue the construction of the underpass running beneath Chittagong Airport Road till the matter is resolved, sources added.

The unfinished work of the underpass now causes unbearable gridlock at the Airport Road point, hampering delivery of goods to and from Chittagong port everyday. It also hinders road communications between Shah Amanat International Airport and the city, sources said.

Several thousand people working at different factories, including Chittagong Export Processing Zone and other key point Installations, get stuck in traffic jam as the vehicles pass through a narrow diversion road in an alternating one-way movement, said Khondoker Reaz Uddin, an official of an England-based firm.

Moreover, many feared collapse of earth from the under-construction underpass that might snap communication through the road any time during the monsoon.

Roads and Highway (R&H) Department took the initiative for constructing the access road to facilitate transportation of goods to and from Chittagong port and ease the vehicular movement in the port city in 2000.

A contract was signed with the Asian Development Bank in this regard in 2002 and work order issued on June 26, 2003 for implementation of the 12.45 km Chittagong Port Access Road involving Tk 97 crore by June 2006.

C&C of China and Monico of Bangladesh started the construction work in 2003.

The road was to stretch from Chittagong port (Jetty Gate No. 5) upto Faujderhat under Sitakunda.

The project is a part of the Corridor Improvement Component (CIC) of Road Maintenance and Improvement Project, an ADB financed Tk 900 crore project that includes four-lane Dhaka-Chittagong Express Highway.

A total 131 acres of land, including 66 acres of Water Development Board (WDB), 7.25 acres of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), 12.5 acres of Bangladesh Railway, 4 acres of health department and 41 acres of private owners, were acquired for the project.

Over 58 per cent of the work has been completed. But it comes to a halt when the R & H starts construction of the underpass in January.

A good number of letters have been exchanged between the ministries of communications and LGRD in this regard.

Finally, the LGRD ministry in a letter on May 3 requested CCC to withdraw its letter seeking help to implement the project.

In reply, CCC sent a letter to LGRD ministry a month back justifying its move.

It hindered the progress of the work of the Port Access Road while implementation of three other projects made an average progress of 70 per cent.

Engineer Mohammad Quashem, Project Manager of R&H, said implementation of the access road is unlikely to meet the schedule as construction of the underpass will be risky during the rainy season.

Project Director Engineer Giasuddin Ahmed of Roads and Highway Department said "Demanding share of tool of Roads and Highway was unjustified as it (collection or sharing of toll) was completely beyond the jurisdiction of R&H Department."

One CCC high official said construction of the roads would create waterlogging and hinder public movement in the areas under CCC. CCC will surely have to bear an additional expense to address the waterlogging and public inconvenience created by the toll road.

Project Director Engineer Giasuddin Ahmed said R&H authorities have already constructed over 20 additional underpasses and box culverts and required number of link roads to avert any probable inconveniences of the local people.