by Rejaul Karim Byron in The daily star, Oct 25, 2017
The government is going to build a 24-kilometre elevated expressway from Dhaka airport to Ashulia for quick entry and exit of vehicles to and from the capital.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) gave the go-ahead yesterday to the Tk 16,901 crore project, 65 percent of which will be financed by China.
Following the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway would work as a bridge between the North and South of Dhaka, leading to a boost to economic activities.
According to the project document, work on the project will begin this year to finish in June 2022. Once completed, the expressway will connect Hazrat Shahjahal International Airport to Abdullahpur, Ashulia, DEPZ and Chandra on the North Bengal Highway.
It will be an extension of the 26-kilometre Dhaka elevated expressway linking the airport to the Dhaka-Chittagong highway near Shanir Akhra.
The Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology conducted a pre-feasibility study in 2013 and a detailed feasibility study in 2016.
According to the reports submitted, the expressway will help ease traffic congestion and allow trucks to move across the capital throughout the day. Trucks are now barred from entering the city from 8:00am to 8:00pm to avoid tailbacks.
The expressway will provide five entry points at Abdullahpur, Jirabo, EPZ, Jirani and Nabinagar to Dhaka from adjoining national highways. It will also have four intersections at Turag, Ashulia, Baipail and Chandra.
Once the project is completed, people from 30 districts will be able to travel to and from Dhaka quickly and at low costs.
The expressway will also facilitate smooth movement of goods-laden vehicles from the Chittagong port to Dhaka EPZ and adjoining trade zones, an official of the planning ministry said.
The project will be implemented on Chinese loans though initially public-private partnership was under consideration. A deal has already been signed with China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation nominated by the Chinese government.
During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit last year, the Chinese government signed a deal promising to finance 27 projects including the expressway.
The last step to get the credit is to sign a loan agreement with Chinese Exim Bank, which is highly unlikely to happen this year, a finance ministry source said.
www.thedailystar.net/backpage/china-fund-65pc-new-expressway-1481425
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