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Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) has reviewed a proposal to construct a four-lane railway overpass at Khulshi Rail Gate and modernise the ageing Dewanhat Overpass through retrofitting, aiming to ease chronic traffic congestion and improve urban connectivity.
The proposals were presented during a technical review meeting chaired by CCC Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain at the Nagar Bhaban on Sunday.
According to the presentation prepared by consultancy firm Delight Engineers and Consultants Ltd. (DECL), the proposed Khulshi Railway Overpass will cost an estimated Tk 1.10 billion and is expected to provide a permanent solution to long traffic queues at the busy Khulshi Rail Gate, where the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar and Chattogram railway lines intersect.
The project includes a 200-metre-long, four-lane overpass, a 500-metre ramp, 2.28 kilometres of service roads, and 2.28 kilometres of footpath-cum-drains. Around 3.259 acres of land will need to be acquired for implementation.
Under the proposed traffic management system, fast-moving vehicles will use the overpass, while local traffic, including rickshaws, CNG-run auto-rickshaws and motorcycles, will travel on the service roads below. Engineers said the design would ensure “zero waiting time” at the railway crossing by eliminating traffic interruptions caused by train movements.
The meeting also reviewed the condition of the nearly 45-year-old Dewanhat Overpass, built between 1978 and 1980, which has suffered concrete deterioration, corroded reinforcing steel and surface cracking due to years of heavy container and cargo truck traffic.
Rather than demolishing and rebuilding the structure, experts proposed strengthening it through modern retrofitting and structural reinforcement technology. The plan is expected to increase the bridge’s load-bearing capacity by about 45 percent, extend its service life by more than 30 years, and significantly reduce costs while avoiding major disruption to traffic.
Engineers from DECL and CCC presented the project’s technical features, implementation strategy, estimated costs and phased work plan during the meeting, attended by Chief Engineer Anisur Rahman and other city officials.
After reviewing the presentation, Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain said the city corporation was giving top priority to planned infrastructure development to transform Chattogram into a modern, safe and congestion-free megacity.
He also instructed officials to verify the feasibility of implementing the proposed retrofitting and strengthening plan for the existing Dewanhat Overpass before taking further action.
