Repair work of 232 kilometres dilapidated roads and highways in ten districts of Khulna division will begin in October this year.
Additional Chief Engineer Taposh Kumar Pal of Khulna divisional office of Roads and Highways (RHD) said potholes, ditches and patches that have developed in the roads and highways are being filled in with bitumen mixed sand, brick dust and brick chips.
Repair of the roads and highways at an estimated cost of Tk 174 crore under Emergency Rehabilitation Project (ERP) and Periodic Maintenance Project (PMP) will start in October, he added.
Superintending Engineer AKM Zikrul Huq told this correspondent yesterday that tenders were invited in June this year for implementation of the two projects at an estimated cost of Tk 143.41 crore.
Besides, Tk 15.25 crore will be spent for construction of 12 culverts and four bailey bridges, he said, adding that tenders were also invited for carpeting different roads in Jhenaidah and Kushtia districts at an estimated cost of Tk 15.16 crore.
Contacted, additional chief engineer of RHD said work orders were given to the contractors, but they could not start works for implementation of the two projects due to recent floods caused by incessant rainfall.
He said most of the roads and highways are still waterlogged. So, it will not be wise to allow the contractors to begin repair works.
The additional chief engineer further said the contractors will be able to complete their works by June next year if they can begin it from October this year.
Khulna RHD has identified 574 out of a total of 1,405 kilometres of roads and highways in 10 districts of Khulna division as dilapidated as they have developed big potholes, patches and ditches.
Due to resource constraint, we want to repair 233 out of 574 kilometres dilapidated roads while the remaining roads will be repaired later on," the additional chief engineer said.
Source : The Daily Star
