Dhaka East-West Elevated Expressway

Chinese firm expresses interest to construct $2b project

A Chinese state-owned enterprise, Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC), has expressed its interest to construct the ‘Dhaka East-West Elevated Expressway’ involving an outlay of USD 2 billion.

The MCC has expressed its interest in letters written to the finance minister, the roads transport and bridges minister, and the secretary of the Economic Relations Division, sources said.

MCC International Incorporation Limited vice-president Wang Zhou wrote to the ministers and the secretary on March 13 this year, expressing the company’s eagerness to handle the infrastructure project, the sources added.

In the letter, Wang Zhou said: “MCC has done a remarkable job in the construction of the 30.6km four-lane expressway. More importantly, it has assisted the Sri Lanka government in obtaining USD 292 million fund from Exim bank of China. So, the Sri Lankan government awarded MCC the 9.3km-long outer circular highway in 2015 and the 37km-long Central Expressway Section I in 2016, both of which are funded by the Exim Bank of China and involve a total amount of nearly USD 1,700 million.”

“Over 20km are elevated highways constructed with the state-of-the-art technologies, creating less disturbance to local environment while preserving the finest quality,” he added.

When contacted, a senior official of the road transport and bridge ministry told The Independent that they would study the MCC’s show of interest. “We want to construct the 39.24-km-long elevated expressway on the government-to-government (G to G) basis to ease traffic congestion in and around the capital,” he said.

“We have prepared a draft Preliminary Development Project Proposal (PDPP) of the seven-year project estimated to cost Tk. 16,388.50 crore or around USD 2.05 billion,” he added.

The official also said that the East West Elevated Expressway would allow traffic to move around the western perimeter of Dhaka between the Dhaka highway and the Dhaka-Chittagong highway with connections to the Dhaka-Mawa highway, which is directly linked to the Padma Bridge.

“After the completion of the project, the traffic movement from Chattogram, Sylhet and other eastern parts, and from the south-western region, through the Padma Bridge at Mawa-Janzira to the 16 north-western districts will become easier, as there will be no need to enter Dhaka city,” the official claimed. The route alignment of the proposed expressway is Hemayetpur-Nimtoli-Keraniganj-Ekuria-Janzira-Fatullah-Hajiganj Bandar-Modonpur on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway.

Sources said the proposed expressway was being planned as a toll expressway suitable for buses, trucks and cars. But the CNG auto-rickshaws and non-motorised vehicles would not be allowed on the expressway for safety and security reasons.

A feasibility study for the project has already been completed. The preliminarily selected alignments of the expressways are expected to connect 40 million people with Dhaka through the national highways from N1 to N5 and N8.

Earlier, the Malaysian government had submitted a proposal to construct the expressway on the G-to-G basis.

Recently, another Chinese company, China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCCL), expressed its interest to construct the 214-km Dhaka-Sylhet four-lane highway project that is estimated to cost Tk. 1,300 crore.

Meanwhile, the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has selected a Chinese construction firm, China Construction Seventh Engineering Division Corporation Ltd, to upgrade the 190.4-km- Elenga-Hatikamrul-Rangpur Highway to four lanes at an estimated cost of Tk. 118 billion.

At present, the Italian-Thai Development Company Ltd is constructing a 46.73-km Dhaka Elevated Expressway (as distinct from the East-West Elevated Expressway) under a public-private partnership model. The project is expected to be completed by 2020. The elevated expressway is being constructed along with ramps from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to the Kutubkhali point of the Dhaka-Chittagong highway via Kuril, Banani, Mohakhali, Tejgaon, Sonargaon Hotel, Palashi, Moghbazar and Kamalapur.

Dhaka East-West Elevated Expressway

Chinese firm expresses interest to construct $2b project

A Chinese state-owned enterprise, Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC), has expressed its interest to construct the Dhaka East-West Elevated Expressway involving an outlay of USD 2 billion. The MCC has expressed its interest in letters written to the finance minister, the roads transport and bridges minister, and the secretary of the Economic Relations Division, sources said. MCC International Incorporation Limited vice-president Wang Zhou wrote to the ministers and the secretary on March 13 this year, expressing the companys eagerness to handle the infrastructure project, the sources added. In the letter, Wang Zhou said: MCC has done a remarkable job in the construction of the 30.6km four-lane expressway. More importantly, it has assisted the Sri Lanka government in obtaining USD 292 million fund from Exim bank of China. So, the Sri Lankan government awarded MCC the 9.3km-long outer circular highway in 2015 and the 37km-long Central Expressway Section I in 2016, both of which are funded by the Exim Bank of China and involve a total amount of nearly USD 1,700 million. Over 20km are elevated highways constructed with the state-of-the-art technologies, creating less disturbance to local environment while preserving the finest quality, he added. When contacted, a senior official of the road transport and bridge ministry told The Independent that they would study the MCCs show of interest. We want to construct the 39.24-km-long elevated expressway on the government-to-government (G to G) basis to ease traffic congestion in and around the capital, he said. We have prepared a draft Preliminary Development Project Proposal (PDPP) of the seven-year project estimated to cost Tk. 16,388.50 crore or around USD 2.05 billion, he added. The official also said that the East West Elevated Expressway would allow traffic to move around the western perimeter of Dhaka between the Dhaka highway and the Dhaka-Chittagong highway with connections to the Dhaka-Mawa highway, which is directly linked to the Padma Bridge. After the completion of the project, the traffic movement from Chattogram, Sylhet and other eastern parts, and from the south-western region, through the Padma Bridge at Mawa-Janzira to the 16 north-western districts will become easier, as there will be no need to enter Dhaka city, the official claimed. The route alignment of the proposed expressway is Hemayetpur-Nimtoli-Keraniganj-Ekuria-Janzira-Fatullah-Hajiganj Bandar-Modonpur on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway. Sources said the proposed expressway was being planned as a toll expressway suitable for buses, trucks and cars. But the CNG auto-rickshaws and non-motorised vehicles would not be allowed on the expressway for safety and security reasons. A feasibility study for the project has already been completed. The preliminarily selected alignments of the expressways are expected to connect 40 million people with Dhaka through the national highways from N1 to N5 and N8. Earlier, the Malaysian government had submitted a proposal to construct the expressway on the G-to-G basis. Recently, another Chinese company, China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCCL), expressed its interest to construct the 214-km Dhaka-Sylhet four-lane highway project that is estimated to cost Tk. 1,300 crore. Meanwhile, the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has selected a Chinese construction firm, China Construction Seventh Engineering Division Corporation Ltd, to upgrade the 190.4-km- Elenga-Hatikamrul-Rangpur Highway to four lanes at an estimated cost of Tk. 118 billion. At present, the Italian-Thai Development Company Ltd is constructing a 46.73-km Dhaka Elevated Expressway (as distinct from the East-West Elevated Expressway) under a public-private partnership model. The project is expected to be completed by 2020. The elevated expressway is being constructed along with ramps from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to the Kutubkhali point of the Dhaka-Chittagong highway via Kuril, Banani, Mohakhali, Tejgaon, Sonargaon Hotel, Palashi, Moghbazar and Kamalapur.