A total of seven flyovers under the Bus Rapid
Transit (BRT) project have inaugurated on Dhaka-Gazipur route with the aim of
ensuring smooth journeys for Eid-ul-Fitr holidaymakers.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader virtually inaugurated the
structures, through connecting from his Secretariat here today.
“With the opening of these seven flyovers ahead of Eid, we are offering a
gift to the home-bound passengers from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” Quader
said.
Particularly, the opening of the flyovers would make travelling easier and
give relief to the home-bound passengers of greater Mymensingh area, he
added.
The flyovers, opened to traffic on Sunday, are the Airport Flyover (Left
Side), Airport Flyover (Right Side), Jasimuddin Flyover, U-Turn-1 Gazipura
Flyover, U-Turn-2 Open University Flyover, Gazipur Bhogra Flyover and Gazipur
Chowrasta Flyover.
After the Asian Development Bank’s preliminary feasibility study in 2011, the
ECNEC approved the BRT project on Dec 1, 2012. The project was initially
slated for completion in December 2016 at a projected cost of around Taka
20.4 billion.
However, the project saw several extensions and budget adjustments, leading
to a final cost of over Taka 42.68 billion and a shortened route from
Gazipur’s Chandna intersection to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
The BRT project aims to alleviate traffic congestion on the Dhaka-Mymensingh
highway, allowing 25,000 passengers to travel through 100 articulated buses
per hour.
Construction has involved three Chinese firms – China Gezhouba Group
Corporation, Jiangsu Provincial Transportation Engineering Group, and Weihai
International Economic and Technical Cooperative – alongside the local Cell-
UDC company, responsible for building the BRT depot in Gazipur. (BSS)