By rosebell
Without filling up any canals, the initial construction work is slated to commence on Bangladesh’s first underground metro rail project, the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development (MRT Line-1), in Purbachal.
In order to advancing the tunnel and underground station works between Kuril Transition, Nadda Station and New Market, a temporary construction yard will be set up under Contract Package CP-05.
Being installed on the southern side of the canal, adjacent to the Purbachal Expressway in Kuril, the construction yard is made of steel posts and metallic platforms and it is due to be installed above the canal, keeping the canal remains intact, and the site will be restored to its original condition after the project is completed.
As the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (DMRTDP) insures, the construction work will be carried out in a risk-free and sustainable way.
With the aim of addressing Dhaka’s severe traffic congestion, Bangladesh’s state-owned entity Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) is operating the project.
Including five planned lines, the metro rail network’s only MRT Line 6 is operational, whereas MRT Line 1 and MRT Line 5 are now under construction, and MRT Line 2 and MRT Line 4 are in the planning stages.
With a total length of 31.241km, the MRT Line 1 comprises two routes, the Airport route and the Purbachal route, and the Airport route is an underground line measuring 19.872km, with 12 underground stations located between the airport and Kamalapur.
Stretching from Notun Bazar to Pitalganj depot, Purbachal route comprises an 11.369km elevated metro rail line with 7 elevated and 2 underground stations.
The date of starting the construction process on MRT Line-1 was February 2023 and is expected to inaugurate in December 2026.
According to MRT Line-1 project director Md Abul Kashem Bhuiyan: “Bangladesh’s first underground metro rail is being constructed on the airport route. The metro rail authority is committed to ensuring risk-free and environmentally friendly construction practices.”
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the MRT Line 1’s construction that was finalised by the Bangladeshi government in 2019, was halted.
Transferring the project license to DMTCL was done by the Road Transport and Highways Division in 2022 and they appointed Nippon Koei Bangladesh as a consultant for MRT Line 1.
Additionally for the land development work for the proposed project at Pitalganj, the government concluded an agreements with Tokyo Construction and Max Infrastructure in the same year.
The construction of MRT Line-1 is implemented through 12 packages, with 87% of the land development work having already been completed.
While awarding a $4.3bn budget for MRT Line 1, Japan International Cooperation Agency agreed to finance 75%.
Also in order to building the core infrastructure, such as tunnels and underground stations for MRT Line-1, tenders have been issued for four underground contract packages.
