CHATTOGRAM, Jan 15: The 16.5 km Mohiuddin Chowdhury Elevated Expressway, the countrys longest, will be partially opened to traffic in March, Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) Chief Engineer Kazi Hasan Bin Shams said on Monday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had inaugurated it using video conference in November 2023.
The expressway is expected to improve communication in the port city by facilitating access to the Bangabandhu Tunnel.
Approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in July 2017, the project was designed to improve communication between the port city with south Chattogram, and the upazilas in the district.The project would be comp0leted by March, said Shams.
A Chinese company named Max-Rankin Joint Venture was awarded the contract to construct the elevated expressway.
According to CDA sources, the construction of the elevated expressway was delayed as Bangladesh Railway has not yet allotted the land for the project.
The updated cost of the project is Taka 4,298.95 crore, and the deadline has been shifted to June 2024, after two extensions.
The 16.5 km elevated expressway will be a 16.5-metre wide four-lane facility with 24 ramps at nine points, between Lalkhan Bazar and the airport.
The ramps at Tigerpass, Agrabad, Barik Building, Nimtala Biswa Road, Customs Area, CEPZ, Karnaphuli EPZ, Katghar and at sea-beach and airport intersections.
