The construction work of the integrated Moghbazar-Mouchak Flyover Project began nearly a year ago, but the progress is only 20 percent, causing tremendous sufferings to the city residents, the commuters and the shop owners. The unfinished work also causing severe traffic congestions in the link roads everyday.
Officials concerned said the construction work of the project could not be carried out in a faster way due to the fund crisis and presence of huge underground pipelines and cables installed nearly a decade ago by utility service providers in and around the project areas.
As such, to avoid damage to the utility services, some changes in the underground structures of the project have been made without affecting the main design of the flyover, the officials said.
“Twenty percent progress only of the construction work of the Moghbazar-Mouchak Flyover Project has so far been achieved,” said Project Director Nazmul Alam.
He said, “The Malibagh-Mogbazar area is the worst traffic congested in the city. Surely, the traffic gridlock will be reduced to a great extent once the flyover construction is completed.”
Referring to the public sufferings, he said underground utility infrastructures and huge traffic pressure on the road have been affecting construction activities. “Implementation of a mega infrastructure project like this in a big city like Dhaka has to face many challenges.”
During a visit to the construction site of the project, the correspondent found that seven pillars of the flyover have so far been installed while ramp is yet to be completed. Construction firms are now busy with installing pillars at different points of the project, including Moghbazar and Malibagh areas.
“The situation at Moghbazar is chaotic during rush hours, especially with bad and dug-up roads filled with water throughout the year due to leakages in water pipe and overflowing manholes,” said Lutfar Rahman, a private jobholder who takes this route every day to go to his office as he lives in the Banglamatar area.
“There are lots of troubles for the commuters. So I shall request the authorities to give special priority to the construction of the said flyover as tens of thousands of people use this road,” he said.
Dilruba Akhter, a resident of Moghbazar area said, “It is very difficult to walk along the road because of digging roads for constructing flyover. Emphasis should be given to the easy movement of vehicles and men during the construction of the roads.”
Residents said, traffic congestion has become a regular phenomenon in the area because of the Moghbazar-Mouchak flyover construction.
‘We need to waste an hour and a half to cross a stretch of only two kilometres, from Banglamotor to Moghbazar,’ said Sabekun Nahar, a resident of the area.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasnia formally inaugurated the flyover project on February 15, 2013 and it is supposed to be completed in two years’ time.
The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) and Cooperatives is implementing the Moghbazar-Mouchak Flyover Project.
The estimated cost of the flyover project is around Tk 7.73 billion. The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) is financing Tk 375.25 crore in the project while OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) Tk 196.98 crore and the government of Bangladesh the remaining Tk 200.47 crore.
Australian firm SMEC International and its three local associates-ACE Consultants Limited, SARM Associates Limited and Kranti Associates Limited -are working as consulting firms for the project.
