State minister orders faster Dhaka-Ashulia expressway work
Md Rajib Ahsan, State Minister for Bridges and Shipping, on Wednesday (22 July) directed officials to accelerate construction of the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway while minimising disruption to the public.
He issued the instructions after inspecting the rigid pavement construction at the Abdullahpur intersection and the ongoing work on the elevated expressway, according to a press release.
Mohammad Abdur Rouf, Secretary of the Bridges Division and Executive Director of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority, accompanied him during the inspection.
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The tenure of the Bus Rapid Transit project ended on 31 December 2024. As its proposed revised development project proposal was not approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council and no contractor was available, work at Abdullahpur intersection could not be completed.
To ease public suffering, the Bangladesh Bridge Authority is implementing the rigid pavement works at the Abdullahpur intersection and the Tongi U-turn section separately, using its own funds.
An agreement with the selected contractor was signed on 19 January, while the work order was issued on 1 March. Pavement quality concrete work began on 21 April.
During the visit, the state minister expressed satisfaction with the progress and quality of the newly constructed 450-meter rigid pavement stretch at Abdullahpur intersection.
He instructed the officials concerned to maintain construction quality, ensure the road's durability and complete the work within the stipulated period.
The state minister later visited several points of the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway project and reviewed its overall progress.
"Every precaution must be taken to ensure that the public does not face hardship during the project work. If one side of the road has to be closed for safety reasons, the other side must immediately be made ready and suitable for traffic," he said.
He also said there could be no compromise on construction quality and instructed the authorities to use quality materials and complete the remaining work on schedule.
"The Honourable Prime Minister is working to modernise the country's communication system. Following the minister's instructions, we are making every effort to complete all projects within the stipulated period while maintaining quality," Mohammad Abdur Rouf said.
"All relevant authorities and contractors are working intensively to facilitate public transport and accelerate construction," he added.
Senior officials of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority; Md Shafiqul Islam, Project Director and Joint Secretary of the project; Jesua Ma, representative of CMC, the contractor implementing the project under a government-to-government arrangement; and others were present.
