Construction now to begin in February

Construction of the long-delayed Dhaka Elevated Expressway, aimed at easing the perennial traffic congestion, will begin early February next year, said Communications Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday while witnessing the revised concession agreement's signing.
Ital-Thai Development Public Company Ltd, private investor of the Tk 8,940 crore public-private partnership scheme, will mobilise construction equipment and materials in January, he said.
Bridges Division Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam, representing Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA), the implementing agency, and the company President Premchai Karnasuta inked the agreement on behalf of their respective sides in the capital's BBA premises.
The 42-month construction will be within the 25-year concession period, said Obaidul.
The revised route brings the country's maiden elevated expressway's length to 47 kilometres, including the 27 kilometres of its 31 ramps, he said. The revision has reduced private land acquisition to 35 acres from 130 acres.
It stretches from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Kutubkhali near the Dhaka-Chittagong highway via Kuril, Banani, Mohakhali, Tejgaon, Moghbazar, Kamalapur, Sayedabad and Jatrabari.
One-third of the construction, stretching over eight kilometers from the airport to Tejgaon, would be completed in the first phase.
The rest, from Tejgaon to Kamalapur and from Kamalapur to Kutubkhali, would be completed in the second and third phases respectively.
The government first signed the agreement with the Thailand-based contractor in January 2011, planning to complete the scheme by mid 2014 at a cost of Tk 8,703 crore. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched the construction in late April of 2011.
However, there was virtually no progress with the implementation being deferred six times due to repeated route alterations and delays by the government in handing over the land and by the concessionaire in arranging the funds.
Obaidul said the project cost increased by Tk 237 crore due to design changes and price escalation.
The government's viability gap funding, that is a grant to support infrastructure projects economically justified but falling short of financial viability, has also risen to Tk 2,414 crore from Tk 2,350 crore.
“Do not cry over what happened in the past in implementing this scheme,” Obaidul told The Daily Star in reply to a question.