Airport-Gazipur BRT to be functional from June 2023
Shoumik Ahmmed Anik || BusinessInsider
BRT Managing Director (MD) Shafiqul Islam speaking at a press briefing following an inspection of BRT project in Dhaka on Friday. Photo: Business Insider Bangladesh
Nearly 80 percent of the works of the 20.5km-long Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project connecting Gazipur with the Dhaka airport has already been completed, said the managing director of the Dhaka BRT Company Limited on Friday.
“We hope to open the BRT corridor for vehicular movement by June next year,” said Md Shafiqul Islam, managing director.
Board members of Dhaka BRT Company, its managing director and senior officials along with journalists visited the project site on Friday.
They started the journey from the Balaka office, near the Dhaka airport and briefed journalists about the update of the project at the Gazipur intersection at 12:15pm.
The managing director said 83 percent of the 16km RSB section and 72.35 percent of the 4.5km BBA section have already been completed.
“Overall, 79.9 percent of the total construction works have been finished,” said Islam.
He stated that they have the necessary capacity to continue and complete the rest of the work.
He further said that, after the recent accident, the authority is putting pressure on the contractors to ensure 100 percent safety while doing work.
“No work will be allowed until the safety measures are met,” he said.
The managing director of the Dhaka BRT Company Limited said he hopes that the major works will be completed by December 2022 and the remaining minor work will be done by March 2023
“We hope to launch the project by June of 2023,” he reiterated.
When asked about the culprits responsible for the girder accident at Uttara, Islam answered, “Investigation of the matter is going on and we will find out who is responsible”.
Earlier, Chief Engineer of Dhaka BRT Company Limited SM Monir Hossain Pathan briefed reporters about the project summary.
He said BRT Project includes - Airport Flyover, Jasimuddin Flyover, House Building to Station Flyover, Station (under construction) at Tongi Flyover Section, Taragach Station (under construction), selected road section of the BRT corridor, Gazipur Chowrasta Station and Flyover and BRT Depot (Naljani, Gazipur).
Road Transport and Highways Department Secretary and Dhaka BRT Company Chairman ABM Amin Ullah Nuri led the project inspection activities.
He was accompanied by the Roads and Highway Directorate, Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), Bridge Authority, BUET experts and officials related to the project including Gazipur City Corporation.
According to Dhaka BRT Company Limited, the growth of the Gazipur City Corporation has made it necessary to ensure easy and safe travel from Gazipur city to Dhaka city. The Prime Minister decided to implement a BRT system between Gazipur and the Airport corridor as an extension of BRT line-3.
Bus rapid transit is an improved modern bus transit system providing rapid, affordable, and comfortable commuting, which operates in dedicated lanes to provide better passenger services.
