Five upcoming RHD projects: ADB for speeding up preparatory works
Asian Development Bank (ADB) has asked the government to speed up preparatory works for five upcoming road projects, which are aiming to boost sub-regional connectivity.
The multilateral lender, which has already promised to finance the projects, stressed meeting the target to begin the development schemes.
An ADB delegation made the call at a meeting yesterday with officials of Roads and Highways Department (RHD), the projects' implementing agency, three participants of the meeting said.
RHD officials said they were working to expedite preparatory works, which are now at different stages.
The meeting also discussed six ADB-funded ongoing projects. RHD officials notified the ADB team about issues centring price hikes and stone crisis. If the issues prolong, project implementation may be adversely affected, they added.
Ravi Peri, director of ADB's transport and communications division, South Asia Department, led the ADB team, while chief engineer AKM Manir Hossain Pathan led RHD at the meeting, held at the latter's headquarters in Dhaka.
The team later met Nazrul Islam, secretary of Road Transport and Highways Division, at his secretariat office.
The five projects are SASEC Road Connectivity Project-3 and 4; SASEC Dhaka-South Corridor Improvement Project; SASEC Dhaka-Chattogram Highway Improvement Project; and SASEC Chattogram Port Access Road Improvement Project.
Once implemented, the specific roads will have four or more lanes, which would not only improve internal road communication but also boost regional transport connectivity, RHD officials said.
The South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) programme started in 2001. It is a project-based partnership among Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
It aims to promote regional prosperity, improve economic opportunities, and build a better quality of life for the sub-region's people.
THE 5 PROJECTS
Under SASEC Road Connectivity Project-3, the 110-km two-lane Rangpur-Teesta-Burimari highway would be expanded into a four-lane road with service lanes.
Feasibility study for the project has already been done, and preliminary estimated cost is $237 million.
However, the study has to be modified, officials said. The project is supposed to start in 2023.
Under SASEC Road Connectivity Project-4, two more lanes, along with service lanes, would be added to the 120-km two-lane Rangpur-Banglabandha highway. Feasibility study of the road was carried out partially. The project is expected to start in 2024.
It is worth mentioning that to connect Rangpur with Dhaka, RHD has almost completed expanding the 70-km highway from Gazipur's Joydebpur to Tangail's Alenga to have four lanes under SASEC-1, while work for expanding the 190-km highway from Alenga to Rangpur is ongoing under SASEC-2. Another ADB-funded project to build a dedicated bus corridor on Dhaka-Gazipur route is ongoing.
SASEC Dhaka-South Corridor Improvement Project would be taken to expand the 152-km two-lane highway from Rajbari's Douladia to Barishal via Faridpur into a four-lane road with service lanes. A feasibility study was done, but it will require modifications. The tentative date to start the project is 2023.
SASEC Dhaka-Chattogram Highway Improvement Project would be taken to further develop the 231-km four-lane highway. RHD has already started the process for a feasibility study for expansion under another project. The project is supposed to start in 2024.
Under SASEC Chattogram Port Access Road Improvement Project, the 11.5-km two-lane toll-road would be expanded to have four or six lanes with service lanes. A study is ongoing for the project, which is supposed to start within this year, officials said.