Tk 500cr CDA plan for road dev

Structures on both the sides of Sirajuddoula Road in the port city were demolished to expand the road and ease the movement of vehicles. PHOTO: Zobaer Hossain Sikder

In February, the CDA proposed to the government for inclusion of the projects in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) 2006-2007 fiscal year. The projects duly respond to the need for infrastructure development not only to ease traffic congestion in the city but also help bring dynamism in the commercial activities and develop new townships with necessary civic amenities, sources said.

Four of these projects involving Tk 453.72 crore will be implemented under the primary road network as per master plan while three other projects of Tk 45. 15 crore under secondary road net work to be financed by the government, sources said.

Of the first four projects, Tk 87.472 crore project was proposed for construction of 4.16km Ambagan to Dhaka Trank Road-Bayezid Bostami Link Road. The Development Project Performa (DPP) of the road with a width of 120-foot to 160-foot is already prepared.

The second project of Tk 197 crore was proposed for construction of three-km road from Dipani Bitan intersection to Shah Amanat Bridge Approach Road via Sadarghat. The road with a width of 70 feet up to Sadarghat and 160 to 200 feet at the Approach Road will be constructed as an outer ring road. The primary survey of the project is going on.

With implementation of the proposed project, CDA will be able to meet the demand of the business community for infrastructure development for transportation of goods to and from Chittagong port bypassing the city centre and bring in dynamism in the activities of the port, sources said.

CDA proposed a Tk 130.522 crore project for construction of 5.80km road from Shah Amanat Bridge Approach Road to Oxygen-Kuaish Link Road as a primary and outer ring road to ease the traffic jam in the city centre in line with the guidelines of Structure Plan, Master Plan and Detailed Area Plan. The DPP for the road with a width of 160 feet is being prepared.

A project worth Tk 38.724 crore has been proposed for widening a link road from Oxygen intersection to Kaptai Road under Chittagong Metropolitan Master Plan. At present construction of the six-km road is going on a as a part of an outer ring road on the northern fringe of the city with a width of 60-foot. But, as Dhaka Trank Road - Bayezid Bostami Link Road, part of the outer ring road in the north, has been developed with a width of 120 feet. Oxygen-Kaptai Road also needs to be widened upto 120 feet. The DPP of the project is being prepared to widen the road by another 60 feet after acquiring land, said sources at CDA.

Three more projects of Tk 45.153 crore have also been proposed for widening roads in the city centre under secondary road network.

For widening the busy and vital roads upto 60 feet from 25 to 30 feet, CDA has demolished a good number of decade old structures from both the sides of the roads. A project worth Tk 6.884 crore for widening Firingi Bazar Road from 25 to 60 feet and another project worth Tk 11.206 crore for Mehedibag Road were also taken.