CHATTOGRAM, Apr 20: Construction works of 107-kilometre long four-lane Chattogram-Coxs Bazar Highway is likely to start soon.
The construction works of the project may be either funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) or the Government of Bangladesh (GOB), the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges sources said.
Earlier, the Ministry has decided to construct the most significant highway by the funding of the JICA.
The total length of the highway is 132 km. Of them 25 kilometres will be constructed under one flyover and four by-passes. So, 107 km long highway will be constructed now. But during the last one year, the authorities could not make any headway with the JICA for this project, sources said.
In this connection, the government of Bangladesh also decided to fund the project, if the JICA failed to do it.
The government will take a decision to this end soon, according to the sources.
The existing two-lane road is unable to cope with additional vehicles from the Bangabandhu Tunnel alongside maintaining the regular traffic rush.
The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) sources said that the DPP has already been submitted to the ministry concerned for approval.
The existing two-lane road will certain to face a disastrous situation with the additional vehicles move from the tunnel.
The total cost of upgrading this highway into four lanes is estimated at Taka 18,000 crore. According to Road Transport and Bridges Ministry sources, JICA is interested to finance the project.
For this reason, the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges had submitted the Development Project proposal (DPP) to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for review one year back.
After getting approval from the donor agency JICA, the concerned ministry will go for implementation of the project, sources said.
Sources said the final decision yet to be taken in the meeting.
But since then decision could not be finalised after holding a successful meeting.
The dates were fixed for holding meetings earlier for several times. So, decision of project has been delayed that might cause a severe traffic melee on the highway after opening the tunnel.
The government under the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has taken the project for construction of the six-lane 132 km long Ctg-Coxs Bazar highway at an estimated cost of Tk 18,000 crore.
RHD sources said, a total of 26 girder bridges and 172 culverts will be constructed under the project.
The government has taken the project to facilitate the vehicular traffic after the opening of Bangabandhu Tunnel under the river Karnaphuli. The proposed highway will begin from Y junction at Shikalbaha to Coxs Bazar through Patiya.
Meanwhile, constructions of four major bridges on Chattogram-Coxs Bazar highway have been completed which were opened for traffic in October last year.
The Roads and Highwyas Department has constructed those roads under Cross border road network improvement project at a cost of taka 751 crore.
Those bridges are; Indrapul Bridge at Patiya, Barumati Bridge at Chandanaish, Sangu Bridge at Satkania and Matamuhuri bridge at Chokoria.
Along with Dhaka-Chattogram-Coxs Bazar Highway, the Matarbari power hub at Maheshkhali deep sea Port and Teknaf land port will be connected by this road.
The sources said at the west sides of the road is located Korea Export Processing Zone and numerous industries including China Economic Zone, Urea Fertilizer Unit-1, Unit-2, and Marine Academy. Every day, people travel from Patiya, Karnaphuli, Anwara-Banshakhali and Coxs Bazar district using this road.
The countrys first tunnel construction project is now underway below Karnaphuli River. The 3.4km tunnel will feature parallel tubes, each carrying two lanes of traffic called Bangabandhu Tunnel which is expected to be opened in October next. It will run from the port area of the city, under the Karnaphuli River, to Anowara Upazila.
The Chattogram-Coxs Bazar highway will be developed around the Matarbari deep sea port. Therefore, the plan is to build the four-lane highway within the next three years, keeping pace with the deep sea port.
