Chattogram elevated expressway named CDA Mayor Mohiuddin Chowdhury Flyover

The 16 kilometre elevated expressway in Chattogram, currently under construction, has been named in honour of former mayor and Awami League leader ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury.

The decision to name the expressway as "CDA Mayor Mohiuddin Chowdhury Flyover" was made during the 458th board meeting of the Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), led by Chairman Zahirul Alam Dobhash.

Advocate Zeenat Sohana, a board member of CDA, conveyed that all present members at the meeting unanimously endorsed the proposed name.

Originally approved in a 2027 Ecnec meeting, the Elevated Expressway initiative aimed to normalise traffic centred around the Chattogram port area while alleviating the city's traffic congestion. Initial estimates pegged the project cost at Tk3,250 crore, with a completion target set for June 2022.

Commencing in 2019, the project encountered various complexities, including objections from Chattogram port authorities, land acquisition delays, traffic department permission hurdles, disagreements concerning the design of the Lalkhan Bazar segment, and a lack of alternate roadways.

Amid these challenges, allegations surfaced that the project had been initiated without a thorough feasibility study. Addressing these concerns, the project's design underwent revision during a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council on 13 September last year, chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The construction plan was modified five years after its initial approval, resulting in a cost escalation of Tk1,048 crore, bringing the total to Tk4,298.95 crore. Furthermore, the construction deadline was extended by two years, now projected for completion by June 2024.

While an announcement in September of the preceding year had indicated the opening of a 10km stretch of the expressway, spanning from Patenga to Nimtala Bishwaroad, by February of the current year, this timeline was not met.

However, authorities involved have disclosed that the entire 16 km flyover is anticipated to be inaugurated and opened together by September of this year.