By Mizan Rahman/Dhaka
The Bangladesh capital city, Dhaka, which has become notorious for its long traffic jams, is expected to get some relief in the New Year with the completion of Hatirjheel project.
“The project encompasses bridges, overpasses, viaducts, expressway, walkways, lakes and colourful floral gardens ... these will be opened for public on January 2,” Brigadier General Mohammad Masud, project director for Hatirjheel-Begunbari project, said yesterday.
“This will change the look of the central part of the capital,” he added.
Masud said the project completion ceremony will be attended by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The 19bn taka project was launched in 2008 in two zones with the southern one comprises a two-way road along the Hatirjheel Lake while in the north zone a road passes through Begunbari power plant to Merul Badda via
Kunipara and Gulshan-1.
Project officials said the newly built 10.8km road has several lanes that connect all districts of the capital.
Project officials said four bridges, four overpasses, a two-lane expressway, a two-way service road and an adjoining walkway decorated with long stretches of natural gardens were developed under the project, which also sees two U-loops or U-turn flyovers, at Rampura and Badda section.
The construction work on the 10km embankment, along Begunbari and Hatirjheel canals, road dividers and footpaths, has already been completed.
Officials familiar with the project, however, said the sewerage system need to be fixed as it is contaminating the lake.
“We are constructing 10.40km main diversion sewerage, 13km local diversion sewerage, and 13 special diversion structures so the lake waters (in the project area) could be kept clean,” a spokesman said.
“The entire capital city will have a complete image makeover towards the end of the present government’s development activities like flyovers, overpasses, BRT, Metro rail and elevated expressway,” a high official familiar with the project said.