Outer ring road to be built to ease traffic jam

KMA Hasnath: Initiative has been taken to construct outer ring road around Dhaka city to ensure smooth communications.

The primary cost of the project is estimated Tk 10,200 crore. The proposed project would be implemented under government-to-government (G to G) deal in cooperation with Marubini Corporation of Japan through a public-private partnership (PPP) project. The project will be started in 2020 and will end in 2023.

Population of Dhaka metropolitan is constantly increasing. Dhaka metropolitan city has become a city of traffic jam due to additional pressure of transports. The government decided to implement various projects in Dhaka city to face too much traffic pressures.

According to primary survey, some amendment has been brought in the proposed outer ring road alignment. The proposed route is Hemayetpur-Kalakandi-third Shitalakhya bridge-Modonpur-Bhulta (Dhaka Bypass)-Kodda (Gazipur)-Baipail (Dhaka EPZ)-Hemayetpur. The length of the route is 130 kilometers. Of that, new 46km of roads will be constructed and rest 86km of roads will be developed.  

Sources said, the under constructed Padma Bridge will connect the north-eastern part with south-west of the country. Numerous vehicles will enter into Dhaka city through Munshiganj, Mawa and Jatrabari. As a result, a complex situation would be created. Considering these, the construction of 48 kilometers of outer ring road was recommended. Three different roads -18km from Hemayetpur (Dhaka-Aricha Highway) to Kalakandi, 18km from Kalakandi (Dhaka-Mawa Highway) to third Shitalakhya Bridge and 12km from third Shitalakhya Bridge to Madanpur (Dhaka-Chattogram Highway) will be constructed.

Outer ring road construction (southern part) project will be presented at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday for approval, concerned sources said.

Dhaka/Nasim