Communication Minister Obaidul Quader said Sunday all withstanding issues over starting the Dhaka Elevated Expressway (DEE) project have been settled, and its field-level construction work would begin in early February. “There has been confusion over beginning of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway project for long. It’s now over. Though it’s late, but the dream is going to be fulfilled,” he said after the revised agreement signing ceremony of the DEE project at Setu Bhaban.
Bridge Division Secretary Khandkar Anwarul Islam and Italian-Thai Development Public Company Ltd President Premchai Karnasuta signed the ‘revised and restated agreement’.
The communication minister witnessed the signing ceremony, where, among others, chief engineer of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority and Padma Bridge project director were present.
The minister said after almost three-and-a-half years’ delay, obstacles of the project have been overcome by changing design and route. Besides, issues of land acquisition and resettlement were also fairly addressed.
The project cost has increased to Tk 89.40 billion from Tk 87.03 billion due to change in design and inflation, he said.
The communication minister said the government’s share in the public-private-partnership (PPP) project in the form of viability gap funding (VGF) has been increased to Tk 24.13 billion from Tk 23.49 billion.
The DEE construction work will be completed in three phases – 30 per cent work in the first phase and 35 per cent each in second and third phases during the next three-and-a-half years.
According to the changed design, private land acquisition has been dropped to 30 acres from 130 acres, and the number of affected people declined to 323 from 1,511.
The total length of the expressway will be 47 kms, with the 20-km length main bridge and 27 km of ramps, the minister added.
He also told the journalists that the revised alignment of the DEE was finalised after long discussion and several meetings with the Prime Minister, and it is now acceptable.
-With The Financial Express input
