Ehsanul Haque Jasim :Sufferings of the city commuters continue due to frequent changing of the designs of the Moghbazar-Malibagh Flyover Project.The design of the project is being changed frequently. As part of the changing, at least 60 pillars of the construction project are being constructed again, demolishing the recently built pillars. City dwellers and pedestrians blamed the contractors and the concerned authorities for building the flyover without coordination among them. The officials of the Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED) said that the faulty architectural layout was also responsible for the delay. The design of the Moghbazar-Mouchak Flyover project has been changed 122 times so far since the beginning, which creates multi-faceted problems. The reason behind the frequent changing is that there is no similarity between the design and the existing underground utility services infrastructure, said the concerned officials Observers, however, said that looting fund in the name of changing design is also another reason behind the changing of the design. They said, had the construction work been completed in due time, it would have been a great relief to the commuters, as they face immense sufferings for severe traffic congestions due to the pitiable condition of roads.Project Director (PD) Nazmul Alam said that they had to change the design almost at every step, as there was no exact information on various underground utility service lines. The project has been revised repeatedly to cover more areas to ensure maximum benefit for city dwellers, including installation of pot-bearing for earthquake resistance and extending of its length by 450 metres.Local Toma Constructions Ltd, the Chinese firm Metallurgical Construction Overseas Company, and joint venture of Indian Simplex Infrastructure Ltd, and local Navana Construction are building the flyover. The Moghbazar-Mouchak Flyover project has already failed to meet its deadlines for a number of times and it will take one and half years more to complete it with more cost .The cost of the project in 2013 was Tk 772.70 crore. Now it is Tk 1218.90 crore. The project was supposed to be completed by December last year but it now needs more time. The 8.7-km long flyover is being constructed in three parts- from Moghbazar to Tejgaon, from Kakrail to Rampura and from Mouchak to Banglamotor. One of the reasons for the cost going up is a 450-metre extension-from the FDC entrance to Hotel Sonargaon in Karwan Bazar.Sources of the LGED said that the construction work on the first part will be completed in February while the second part in June and the third part in December. The first part will be opened to traffic in March.Commuters face unbearable miseries while travelling through the roads connecting Moghbazar, Mouchak, Malibagh, Shantinagar, Eskaton, Dilu Road, Siddeswari, Shatrasta and Rampura areas.Experts said foreign engineers keeping left-hand driving designed the flyover more than a decade ago. It is being erected with several faults, including on ramps. Professor of BUET Civil Engineering Department Md Shamsul Hoque said the fault happened because the independent experts did not examine the design, while local planners were not consulted and no public hearing was held. The long flyover won’t ease traffic congestions, as it has not enough options for vehicles taking right turn. It cannot ensure vehicles reaching destination in shorter time, he added.
