The construction of the elevated expressway from Lalkhan Bazar in Chattogram to Shah Amanat Airport is nearing completion. If everything goes well, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate it next October.
The elevated expressway will be named after ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, the late mayor of Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) and lifelong president of the city Awami League.
On Thursday, the 458th board meeting of Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) unanimously approved the naming. This was confirmed by CDA Elevated Expressway Project Director Mahfuzur Rahman.
He said that the decision has been taken to name the elevated expressway under the implementation of Chattogram Development Authority after the former president of Awami League and late mayor Alhaj ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury.
CDA Board member Jasim Uddin Shah, Omar Faruq, Architect Ashiq Imran, Mohammad Alishah, Advocate Jinat Sohana Chowdhury among the board members were present in the meeting held in the board room of the organization under the chairmanship of CDA Chairman Zahirul Alam Dubash.
Chattogram Elevated Expressway Project About 16 km long elevated expressway construction project from Lalkhan Bazar in Chattogram to Patenga is nearing completion. Elevated Expressway will be identified as a milestone project of Chattogram's communication system
Elevated expressway project was approved in July 2017 ECNEC meeting to decongest the city. The cost is estimated at 3 thousand 250 crore 83 lakh taka. Bangladeshi contracting company Max and Chinese company Rankin jointly get the construction work. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the pillar piling work of the elevated expressway on February 24, 2019.
The work on the project was supposed to be completed by June 2022 but due to various complications the duration has been extended till 2023. Total construction cost is 4 thousand 369 crore 7 lakh 10 thousand 819 taka.
Direct connection of the city with South Chattogram will be established through elevated expressway with Karnaphuli tunnel.
The city's largest flyover elevated expressway will be launched this year. Carpeting of project roads and other works are nearing completion. People will reach Patenga from Lalkhan Bazar within 15-20 minutes if the flyover is opened. Using this flyover, expatriates can reach the airport without any hassle.
Chittagong is going to be transformed into a commercial capital. The construction of various mega projects of the government is also going on at a fast pace. Currently, the expressway work is going on at Lalkhan Bazar intersection. A ramp will go down there to connect the elevated expressway with the Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury flyover.
A four-lane elevated expressway from Lalkhan Bazar to Shah Amanat Airport is opening this year. 85 percent of the 16 km long and 16.5 meter wide infrastructure work has been completed.
Elevated Expressway Project Director Md. Mahfuzur Rahman said that the work was delayed due to land complications. The speed of work also increased with the removal of land complications. Work will be completed on time. Out of 16 km, 11 km from airport to Nimtala has been completed. Casting and railing work at most places within 6 km from Nimtala to Lalkhan Bazar. From Patenga to Saltgola Crossing has been prepared for vehicular movement. Work on three spans is in progress in the Barrick building area. The work from Chowmuhani to Lalkhan Bazar will be completed quickly. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the main flyover. The flyover will be opened for traffic soon after the inauguration.
According to CDA sources, 24 ramps are being constructed at 9 junctions under this project. Among them, there are 4 ramps at Tigerpass, 4 at Agrabad, 2 at Barik Building Junction, 2 at Nimtala Junction, 2 at Custom Junction, 4 at CEPZ, 2 at KEPZ, 2 at Kathgarh and 2 at Patenga Seaside area. The width of this four-lane expressway will be 54 feet. There will be 2500 LED lights on the expressway.
Increasing the project cost by 36 percent due to cost increase in various areas including changing the alignment of expressway, new land acquisition, construction of toll plaza, installation of CCTV cameras, construction of control tower, construction of foot overbridges at various points, installation of sound proof barrier and relocation of electric pool.
