Study shows ride from Azimpur to Gabtoli to take 15 mins
The government has undertaken a Tk 775 crore project to construct elevated U-turns and underpasses for an uninterrupted traffic flow between Azimpur and Gabtoli.
Once the project is implemented, a ride from Azimpur to Gabtoli will take only 11 minutes instead of current 78 minutes, suggested a study by Buet experts.
It will help ease congestion on the 8.5-kilometre route, where the traffic speed is now eight km per hour, it said.
Titled Bangabandhu Memorial Corridor, the scheme is now under scrutiny at the Planning Commission. After elevated expressway and metro rail, this will be the present government’s third mega project to improve the city’s traffic situation.
Under the plan, two elevated U-turns (or loops) will be built at now heavily congested Gabtoli Bus Terminal. The buses will enter and exit the terminal using the loops without interrupting movement of vehicles on the road.
There will be another such loop at the Mazar Road intersection for traffic heading towards Mirpur-1, 2 and 10 from Asadgate-Shyamoli direction.
Traffic from Mazar road and Mirpur-1, 2 and 10 will get an elevated U-turn at Technical intersection to move to Gabtoli or Aricha.
Another will be constructed over the Kalyanpur canal for easy exit of vehicles from Shyamoli Link Road and New Market direction and heading for Agargaon or Rokeya Sarani.
Vehicles en route to Gabtoli from Rokeya Sarani and Agargaon will use a loop near Shishumela.
Those driving from Mohammadpur, Lalmatia and Dhanmondi areas will use another loop to enter Suhrawardi Hospital or to head for Bijay Sarani and Farmgate using an underpass at the Gono Bhaban intersection.
Vehicles from Crescent Road and Bijay Sarani direction will use the underpass en route to Mohammadpur or Gabtoli-Shyamoli areas.
The traffic from Manik Mia Avenue will have to pass through a loop at Dhanmondi-27 intersection to go to Dhanmondi-27 and Lalmatia areas.
But the traffic from Dhanmondi-27 will have to cross the loop near Suhrawardi Hospital and then the underpass at Gano Bhaban intersection to go in the Farmgate-Bijay Sarani direction or to use Manik Mia Avenue.
Vehicles from New Market direction will drive through an underpass at Russel Square to go to Gabtoli or Mirpur.
Those driving from Pantha Path or Gabtoli direction will use a loop at Kalabagan for right turn to be in Dhanmondi direction.
Vehicles from Dhanmondi-2 will use another underpass at Science Laboratory intersection to reach New Market.
Two underpasses at Nilkhet intersection will ensure smooth exit of vehicles to and from Azimpur and Science Laboratory directions.
Under the plan prepared by a group of experts from Civil Engineering department, Bangladesh University of Engineer and Technology (Buet), there will be limited option of taking right turn at Science Laboratory and Nilkhet crossings.
“Vehicles from Russell Square will be allowed to take right turns through Dhanmondi-2 direction while traffic from Dhaka University or BGB Gate-3 will take right turn at the Nilkhet intersection,” said Arifur Rahman, superintendent engineer of Roads and Highways Department (Dhaka Zone) and also the project director.
Prof Moazzem Hossain of Buet’s Civil Engineering department said the project is aimed at making the Azimpur-Gabtoli route signal-free.
“Presently, vehicles on the corridor are stopped at signals. And they have to wait for minutes for right turns and U-turns of other vehicles,” he told The Daily Star.
“The government considers the project a priority,” said Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain.
“We will first seek foreign fund to complete the project. If it is not available, we will go for government allocation,” he added.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
