Work on the elevated road over Hatirjheel water body may begin next winter. PHOTO: STAR

Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) has completed all preparations to construct an elevated road over Hatirjheel, one of the city's biggest water bodies, aiming to ensure speedy communication between the city's eastern and western parts.

Nagar Bhaban sources said the project involving Tk 530 crore is now awaiting approval from the Ecnec (Executive Committee of National Economic Council). If the project is approved, the construction work may start next winter.

This will be the first elevated road in the country. "It will be an international standard elevated roadway in respect of smooth traffic movement avoiding congestion on Tongi Diversion Road and Moghbazar," said Project Director Ashiqur Rahman.

The road will have the option to extend in future to meet increased traffic volume. It will have four lanes, walkways on both sides and median. The road will connect Panthapath with Gulshan Avenue and Pragati Sarani at Rampura.

"The proposed east-west corridor will ensure uninterrupted traffic flow between the eastern and western part of the city," Ashiqur said.

After getting approval, DCC will invite international tender for the construction of the elevated road from Tongi Diversion Road to Rampura.

Sources said the road will cost around Tk 530.34 crore of which Tk 110 crore is for land acquisition.

According to the original project proposal, construction of the road was supposed to start from March this year and end in June 2008. But it was delayed as the project was revised to save the water body and environment.

"DCC has prepared a new project concept paper for constructing the road following the technical assessment by Buet to save the city's last remaining water body and environment," Ashiqur Rahman said.

The decision to build the elevated road has come after a yearlong discussion as environmentalists stood against a plan for filling up Hatirjheel for constructing a road. Star City also ran a series of stories about the consequence of filling up the water body.

"The proposed road is essential to ease city's ever increasing traffic congestion as the city lacks east-west road link," said Saifuddin Ahmed, chief executive officer of DCC.

As there is no straight road from Panthapath to Rampura the commuters have to go to Mohakhali and Gulshan areas via Moghbazar, Malibagh and Mouchak that takes a long time and causes huge traffic congestion on that road.

Urban Planning Department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) after conducting a survey of the area suggested constructing the elevated road for the sake of saving the water body.

The project director said they have already got clearances from all departments concerned including the Department of Environment, Dhaka Transport Coordination Board, Water and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) and Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk).