Metro rail witnesses 72.99pc overall progress

The overall progress of construction work of 21.26-kiolomtere-long elevated metro rail service from Uttara to Motijheel-Kamalapur Railway stands at 72.99 per cent now, while 89.88 per cent civil work between Uttara and Agargaon has been done, reports BSS.

“At present, 11.73 kilometer viaduct, station column and other related works of metro rail between Uttara and Agargaon have been completed,” managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL) MAN Siddique told BSS here today.

He said construction work of Mass-Rapid Transport (MRT) Line-6, the country’s first elevated metro rail system in Dhaka city under the Fast Track projects, is going on in full swing targeting to open it for commercial operation by next year.

Siddique said the metro train undertaken by prime minister Sheikh Hasina, began its mainline performance test on viaduct in October, which will require six months.

“Before commercial run of the metro rail we have to carry out integrated test and trial run,” he added.

According to the project details, the 8th set of metro train reached the Mongla port, while 9th and 10th shipment of metro train set will reach the country in January, 2022.

The total 21.26-kilomtere metro-rail project is being built in eight packages. The overall physical progress of the first phase construction from Uttara to Agargaon is 89.88 per cent and second phase progress from Agargaon to Motijheel is 71.82 per cent, while the overall progress stood at 72.99 per cent.

The details said work of check boring, test pile, main pile, pile cap, eye guarders, precast segment casting, pier head, viaduct, parapet wall on viaduct, long span balanced cantilever, sub-structure of all stations concourse roof, platforms and steel roof structure under the package 3 and 4 completed, while 76.18 per cent overall progress of package-5 has been done.

Besides, installation of roof sheet on Uttara Uttar, Uttara South, Pallabi, Mirpur-11, Mirpur-10 and Agargaon stations were completed, while work is going on to set up roof sheet on Uttara Centre, Kazipara and Shewrapa stations. Construction work of Bijoy Sarani, Farmgate, Karwan Bazar stations are going fast.

The project details said the land development work of depot (package-I) area has been done, which started on 8 September, 2016 and completed nine months earlier.

The construction progress of telecommunication, power substation, signaling and rooms for station controller under package-7 stood at 79.20 per cent.

The managing director said workforce engaged in the MRT Line-6 construction works are being checked for Covid-19 symptoms at the primary stage and at the secondary stage, selected persons are being tested for Covid-19 through dedicated sample collection centers for the project.

In order to deal with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a 10-bed isolation center (Field Hospital) at the Gabtoli construction site and a 14-bed isolation center (Field Hospital) at Uttara Ponchoboti construction yard were constructed, he said, adding that if necessary, more residential establishments will be built.

The project details said the metro rail is projected to carry 60,000 passengers per hour by traveling the entire route of 21.26 km from Uttara to Motijheel-Kamalapur Railway Station in less than 40 minutes.

The iconic stations will be at Diabari, Mirpur and Motijheel, while other stations will be constructed ordinarily.