ECNEC approves Tk 14.35b project to upgrade Tangail-Delduar highway

The executive committee of the national economic council (ECNEC) on Tuesday approved a Tk 14.35 billion (Tk 1,435.89 crore) project to upgrade the Tangail-Delduar-Louhati-Saturia-Kawalipara-Kalampur bus stand road regional highway to ensure safe and uninterrupted road communication system.

The approval came in the 5th ECNEC meeting of the current fiscal year (FY22) with ECNEC chairperson and prime minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

The PM joined the meeting virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban while ministers, state ministers, planning commission members and secretaries concerned attended it from the NEC Conference Room in Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, planning minister MA Mannan said a total of nine projects were approved today involving an overall estimated cost of Tk 65.51 billion (Tk 6,551.27 crore).

"Of the total project cost, Tk 37.42 billion (Tk 3,742.29 crore) will come from the government portion, Tk 262.2 million (Tk 26.22 crore) from the concerned organisation's own fund while the rest Tk 27.82 billion (Tk 2,782.76 crore) as project assistance," he said.

Among the approved nine projects, four are new while five others are revised ones.

The planning minister said that the roads and highways department under the road transport and highways division will implement the road up-gradation project in Tangail by December, 2023.

Once the project is completed, safe and uninterrupted road communication will be established in Tangail, Delduar, Nagarpur, Dhamrai and Saturia upazilas with Manikganj and Dhaka in much lesser time.

The main project operations include 73.44 hectares of land acquisition, construction of five PC girder bridges, widening and strengthening of pavements, construction of one grade separated intersection and one U-loop or underpass, construction of 31 RCC box culverts, 13.26 lakh cubic meter road embankment widening, and construction of drains.