Around 1,500 kilometres of highways and roads under the Roads and Highways Department require repair at present, said the department鈥檚 chief engineer Syed Moinul Hasan on Monday.
He shared the information after an inter-ministry meeting had been held at the Road Transport and Highways Division conference room at the Bangladesh Secretariat on the day.
Road transport and bridges ministry adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan told the reporters after the meeting that they had formed some committees with the representatives from three ministries, road transport and bridges, housing and public works, and local government, rural development and co-operatives, to repair all roads and highways together during the ongoing monsoon.
鈥楿nlike past years this year the roads will not have some patchwork of bricks and bitumen for repairs鈥� he said, stating that the repairs must be permanent this time.
The adviser said that they would repair the roads based on three priorities鈥� passenger demand of the roads, road condition and how much and to what extent each of the roads requiring repair.
鈥榃e got positive result this year by working in holistic approach with the Chattogram Development Authority on water stagnation in Chattogram city,鈥� he remarked.
To make the repairs last longer rigid pavement or concrete roads would be built, the adviser further said.
Replying to a question, Fouzul Kabir said that as concrete cost higher, it would be mainly used in areas facing frequent water stagnation.聽
According to the roads department, the construction of 1km road with 10.3-metre width a 鈥榝lexible pavement鈥� a term for roads built with bitumen, gravel, crushed stones and sand, cost Tk 11.25 crore, which is Tk 13.82 crore to build a 鈥榬igid pavement鈥� road which is built with concrete and rebar.
Although costlier, the rigid pavement method reduces lifecycle cost, and so can be used to build four-lane roads, suggests a Roads and Highways Department power point presentation.
Local Government Engineering Department chief engineer Md Abdur Rashid Miah, who was present at the meeting, said that they were still collecting data about roads requiring repairs.
The Roads and Highways Department has around 22,418km national and regional highways and districts highways to look after, while the local government department has around 4.11 lakh kilometres of roads under it.聽
Replying to a question, the adviser said that another committee had been formed, led by the special assistant to the chief adviser Sheik Moinuddin regarding reviewing the cost of the projects.
鈥極ne of the main reasons behind high project cost in Bangladesh is the high cost of land acquisition,鈥� he added.
Special assistant Sheik Moinuddin, road division senior secretary Md Ehsanul Haque, Local Government Division secretary Md Rezaul Maksud Jahedi, public works ministry secretary Md Nazrul Islam and other senior officials from the three ministries were present at the meeting.