The government has fixed the new route of metro rail service named Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line 5 after completing the feasibility study and survey.
The new alignment is fixed as Savar's Hemayetpur-Baliarpur-Modhumoti-Aminbazar-Gabtoli-Darussalam-Mirpur 1-Mirpur 10-Mirpur 14-Kachukhet-Banani-Gulshan 2-Natun Bazar-Bhatara.
this regard, Road Transport and Highways Division (RTHD) has prepared the Development Project Proposal (DPP) which has been sent to planning commission for approval, a senior official of the planning ministry told Bangladesh Post. The commission will scrutinize the project at the project evaluation committee meeting then it will sent the government highest economic policy making body—executive committee of the national economic council (ECNEC) for approval.
The project estimates of Tk 41,261.51 crore which will come from the Japan government and Bangladesh government exchequer. Japan International Cooperation Agency will give loan of Tk 30756.46 crore. The project would be implemented from July 2019 to December 2028. Sources said the process of calling tender of the project will be started after getting approval.
The 20km new metro rail route will be from Hemayetpur to Bhatara which 14km will be underground rail. The RTHD has sought Tk 1000 crore from the finance ministry for the land acquisition to implement the project. Sources said 14 stations will be constructed in the route. The government has also decided to construct underground rail--- MRT Line-1, this track will link the capital's airport and Kamalapur. It will also have an elevated part to connect Purbachal with Notun Bazar. The project deadline is 2026.
The 31.24km MRT Line-1 will have two parts -- around 19.87km from Airport to Kamalapur with 16.4km underground, and around 11.36km of elevated rail from Notun Bazar to Purbachal. Of its total length, 3.65km would be for transition from underground to elevated and vice versa. According to the project details, the MRT Line-1 would have 12 stations including Airport, Airport Terminal-3, Khilkheet, Jamuna Future Park, Natun Bazar, Uttar Badda, Badda, Hatirjheel, Rampura, Malibagh, Rajarbagh and Kamalapur.
The underground and elevated metro rail will have inter-change facility at Natun Bazar station so passengers can go to Purbachal from Airport route by using the inter-change facility. Japan is also funding the country's first elevated metro rail, MRT Line-6, from Uttara to Motijheel. Construction of the 20.1km track is now underway and may be completed by this year.
The government wants to build all the five metro lines -- one elevated, one underground, and three underground plus elevated -- in the capital and its adjacent areas by 2030 to ease traffic and reduce pollution, the two major problems facing the mega city of more than 1.5 crore residents.
