Looking for an alternative route amid the growing port activities, Chittagong Development Authority (CPA) and Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) have jointly planned to take up a 17-kilometer elevated expressway project to connect Karnaphuli Bridge and Patenga beach with at least five landing stations.
Keeping in mind the future requirement, CDA chairman Abdus Salam put forward a proposal to the Prime Minister for constructing the elevated expressway to have an alternative route in the commercially important port city of Chittagong.
The route — Karanaphuli Bridge to Airport through CDA Avenue-Sheikh Mujib Road — is the key road in the port city of Chittagong as airport-bound passengers face immense sufferings due to the absence of alternative routes.
“We don’t have any alternative route to CDA Avenue-Sheikh Mujib Road. Considering the future rush of mechanised transport movement following increased port activities, I put forward the proposal. And the Prime Minister gave me a patient hearing,” CDA chairman Salam told UNB.
Responding to a question, he said the proposal was later placed at a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Shipping Ministry. “The committee gave directives to the CPA and CDA for necessary steps. We (CPA and CDA) have reached a decision to move ahead with the proposed plan.”
A senior official at the CPA said its chairman had a meeting with the CDA chairman. But, CPA chairman Rear Admiral Nizam Uddin could not be reached as he is now out of the country.
Meanwhile, the CDA chairman said the Port Authority uses around 80 percent of the roads while the remaining 20 percent is used by general purposes. “But the CPA hasn’t spent a single Taka for the road communication development in the city.”
He said the country’s key seaport will turn into a regional port today or tomorrow. “We’ve to move forward with the plan right now. If we make further delay, it’ll face various difficulties.”
The port users, however, said there should be a proper planning to take forward the proposal with alternative provisions ensuring the maximum benefit from such a project.
“In fact, the elevated expressway is a very effective plan. But there should be a provision so that a suspension railway (elevated railway with hanging train cars) could be introduced below the expressway,” SM Nurul Hoque, vice- president of Bangladesh-Myanmar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BMCCI), told the UNB correspondent.
Nurul Hoque, also a former FBCCI director, said the port authority needs to elicit opinions from city planners, experts and common people through online for better planning.
“Port growth increases gradually. We need to have a planning right now to ensure maximum benefit for the port users and keep roads free from traffic jams,” he said.
Nurul Hoque said people will reduce dependence on cars and busses if the mass transit is possible with suspension train below the planned elevated expressway.
Another port user and former director of FBCCI M Amirul Haque said he does not believe that the CPA will do it which could not appoint an operator for the New Moorning Container Terminal over the last five years. “If you say that the CDA chairman will do it, I can trust. He’s the only man who can do it as he is a professional man,” he added.
Amirul Haque said there should be a proper planning to ensure maximum benefit. “I don’t think the CPA has the proper planning.”
Feature of Elevated Expressway
The planned expressway will have five landing stations and the route will go through Karnaphuli Bridge-Firingibazar-Sadarghat-Barikbuilding-EPZ intersection-Cement Crossing-Kathghor-Patenga seashore.
The CDA chairman said there will be landing stations at Firingibazar-Sadarghat-Bandar Bhaban-Barikbuilding-EPZ intersection so that people can communicate through New Market, Alkaran and Kotwali areas.
Asked about the initial project cost, Abdus Salam said it will about Tk 2000 crore plus.
Responding to a query, he said he is expecting that the Prime Minister would make a formal announcement of the proposed project within the next couple of weeks.
Sources at the political circle said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to visit Chittagong on October 12 and she would make the announcement at a public rally there.
Source: UNBConnect
A very good initiative taken. I’m sure, if implemented it will not only facilitate the general traffic movement but will also help the transportation of goods and person to airport as well as port.
Among many discouraging and disappointing news, this is a very encouraging and reinvigorating news indeed. This plan should have been taken much, much earlier because both the incumbent and the ex-PMs several times promised to make the port city into the economic capital of the country. Now the sooner this project of immense necessity is implemented, the better. We remain deeply expectant of this project being initiated as early as possible.