The fastest growing four mega projects, metro rail, elevated expressway, bus rapid transit are expected to be completed by 2021, while the proposed underground railway is expected to be completed by 2026 as works are going on at full speed.
With the completion of the projects the devastating traffic situation of Dhaka city, which takes up 3.2 million work hours everyday, would be over.
The city dwellers would get a relief from long sufferings from chaotic traffic system, vehicle pollution, delays on the roads and unwanted accidents once the projects are launched.
Some mega transport improvement projects are now in progress namely the construction of Metro Rail, Dhaka Elevated Expressway and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).
The proposed underground railway or better known as MRT Line-1, will link the capital's airport with Kamalapur. It will also have an elevated part to connect Purbachal with Notun Bazar in the city. The project deadline is 2026.
The 20.1 km Metro Rail project or MRT Line-6 is expected to launch train services from Uttara to Agargaon in the first phase of the project by the end of this year. The second phase, from Agargaon to Motijheel, will be completed by 2020.
The Tk 8,940 crore Dhaka Elevated Expressway, with a length of 19.73km, starts at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and continuous over the railway track up to Khilkhet area and follow the railway track on the Bangladesh railway’s own land.
At Khilkhet area the expressway alignment turns eastward, crossing the railway track from west to east, to avoid the Kuril flyover Interchange making a semi-circular turn over Khilkhet, Kuril, the Progati Sarani and finally into Joar Shahara.
The government is also planning to construct the third metro rail (MRT line-5) connecting Hemayetpur and Vatara through the Dhaka Cantonment.
The metro rail will have two elevated parts – the first one to be constructed between Hemayetpur and Aminbazar (5.5km) while the second part will connect Natun Bazar and Vatara (0.5km).
Besides, the 13.6km long underground part will be constructed between Gabtoli and Gulshan-2 via Dar-Us-Salam, Mirpur-1, Mirpur-10, Mirpur-14, Kochukhet, cantonment and Banani.
Lastly, the construction of 22 km Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) from Airport to Jhilmil, Keraniganj is also in progress aiming at resolving traffic congestion in the capital city. Once the BRT Line-3 from Airport to Jhilmil project is completed, it will benefit some 30,000 passengers from both sides of the route in an hour.
BRT will have 16 stations from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Jhilmil, Keraniganj. According to the project details, the BRT Line-3 would have an interconnection facility with the under-construction Gazipur-Airport BRT at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport station.
In the phase-1, the authority will implement the project from Airport to Mohakhali, phase-2 will be completed from Mohakhali to Gulistan and phase-3 will be implemented from Gulistan to Jhilmil, Keraniganj over the Buriganga River.
Such mega infrastructure construction projects, once completed shortly would make an immense impact on the economy of the country when the traffic congestion crisis would come to an end.
Considering Dhaka's economic potential the city is only one percent of the country's total area but its contribution to GDP will be 36 percent and will create 44 percent of the country's total employment, according to a recent World Bank study.
The present government has given special attention on removing the obstacles in the city’s traffic congestions and the huge allocation in the transport development systems reflects how serious the government is.
On completion of the transport-related projects, it would address some major challenges, including pollution, congestion, accidents, public transport shortage, environmental degradation, climate change, and energy depletion.
The city dwellers would greatly enjoy living as the advanced transports would offer fast, more efficient and pollution free traveling.
Bangladesh Post spoke to the former lead economist of the World Bank, Dr Zahid Hossain and asked what impacts the transport projects would have on the economy of the country.
Dr Zahid agreed that if everything goes as per the plan of the government the traffic congestion would surely see a massive change. He, however, warned that by the time the projects compete the volume of the traffic would also substantially increase. He questioned whether the volume of the newly added vehicles on the roads would add to the current congestions problems or not.
He said, “The transport improvement projects are welcome but whether they would practically solve the existing problems is the biggest challenge.”
