The government has undertaken a mega project to construct 129km elevated ring road surrounding capital Dhaka in order to ease transportation with different parts of the country. The project also aims at reducing the traffic congestion in the city capital. The project would be implemented under government to government (G2G) deal in cooperation with Marubeni Corporation of Japan through public private partnership (PPP).
The Road Transport and Highways Division has prepared the project proposal. The Roads and Highways Department will implement the project from 2020 to 2023. Sources of the Roads Transport and Highways Division said, the project is likely to be placed before the cabinet committee on economic affairs today (Wednesday) for approval. Of 129km ring roads, 46km new roads will be constructed and 86km roads developed, sources also said.
According to sources, three routes of the toll-based road aim to divert possible growing number of traffic from the southern part of the country with the commissioning of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge. The first route would start from Hemayetpur on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway and go to Kalakandhi on the Dhaka-Mawa highway covering 18km.
The second route, also covering 18km, would begin from Kalakandhi on the Dhaka-Mawa highway and go to approach road of the third Sitalakhya Bridge. The proposed third route, covering 12km, would start from Sitalakhya Bridge and go to Madanpur on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway. The fourth route of 10km would start from Badda in Gazipur and end at Dhaka Export Processing Zone on the Nabinagar-Chandra highway.
The rest of the ring roads that already exist and would be upgraded. Vehicle owners would have to pay toll for using the outer ring road, according to the proposal. Once implemented, people across the country can easily move from eastern part to western part of the country and northern to southern parts respectively. There is no need to enter the capital for moving to any part of the country.
Besides, city dwellers can also move easily and smoothly in a short time to anywhere in the capital. According to the proposal, the ministry concerned will conduct a pre-feasibility study under the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) before construction begins. The RHD will conduct the field-level survey and detailed design after completion of the pre-feasibility study by the coordination agency, the proposal added.
The government had taken a 20-year plan to reduce congestion in the capital. The revised strategic transport plan (RSTP), approved in August 2016, three circular roads-inner, middle and outer-have been proposed surrounding the Dhaka city with options of ring road, primary and secondary roads, inter-city bus terminals and business transfer facilities.
Meanwhile, the government has taken up several projects including Metro Rail, Dhaka Elevated Expressway to develop and ease transportation for the Dhaka city to reduce traffic congestion.