Design, guarantee get knock from experts

This image shows the overall layout of the flyover from Chittagong Road end. Tawfique Ali

As efforts are afoot to revive the controversial Jatrabari flyover project, experts say two major issues the design and an unprecedented blanket guarantee -- remain unresolved.
The flyover will have long pillars going into the ground, and the proposed metro rail a subway system connecting Tongi in the north with Narayanganj in the south is supposed to go through the same area.
The pillars will obstruct the metro rail for which tunnels will have to be dug deeper to bypass the pillars. This will substantially increase the cost of the metro system, experts say.
At the same time, the proposed elevated expressway is also supposed to run through the flyover zone. This would require the expressway to be built higher at a higher cost as well.
Moreover, 10 ramps of the flyover to be built with an area of only one kilometre between Jatrabari and Syedabad would narrow the existing roads, reducing their capacity, experts claimed.
The toll collection plazas for users of the flyover would be built on the existing surface roads. This will lead to a huge congestion on the existing roads, experts said