At least 67 percent construction works of 9 km long Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) embankment-cum- marine drive road at a cost of Taka 3,200 crore have been completed so far till today.
The construction works of ten sluice gates out of 12 have been completed at the estuary of 10 canals of the city under this project and the rest will be completed by December next, said Rajib Das, Project Director (PD) of Chaktai to Kalurghat Bridge Marine Drive Project on the west bank of Karnaphuli River.
Meanwhile, the schedule time for completion of the project was extended for two years more.
Earlier, the schedule time for completion of the project was June 2022. Presently, it has been extended up to June 2024.
The project cost has also increased. The Project cost was Taka 2,279 crore till June 2022, now it has been increased Taka 3,200 crore.
The PD said the construction works of the eight kilometre out of nine kilometre of the project have been progressing fast as the land acquisition activities have been completed from the area.
The construction and land acquisition activities of the rest one km from Kalurghat Industrial area to Kalurghat Railway bridge will be started from September as all kinds of obstacles have already been removed, he added.
The PD said at least 84 percent construction works of 12 high-tide protection regulators and pump-houses are being installed at the mouths of 12 canals to quick dispose up the rain water from the city area have been completed till today.
He hoped that the construction works of 12 high-tide protection regulators and pump-houses will be completed by October next.
Rajib Das said the construction works of 10 more sluice gates, erected at the estuary of 10 canals of the city under this project and the rest construction works of two sluice gates will be completed by December next.
He informed that if the CDA marine drive is constructed, the vehicles bound for north and northeastern region of Chattogram from the southeast will directly reach Kaptai, Rangunia and Boalkhali upazilas of the district without entering the city.
The embankment-cum-road will be a four-lane one and its height will be 24.5 feet above from the sea level and 80 feet wide as per the guidelines of Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and survey of the Chattogram Metropolitan Master Plan of 1995.
The construction works of the Chaktai to Kalurghat bridge marine drive project was inaugurated in June, 2019 with the construction of a sluice gate at the estuary of Chaktai canal.
The project was approved in the meeting of the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) on April 25 in 2017.
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha