The Bangladeshi government has relied on a Chinese engineering giant to carry out detailed engineering design for a four-lane expansion of a national highway which is assumed to be one of the major transport corridors linking capital Dhaka to its south and west as well as linking Bangladesh with its three neighbors.

Chinese firm Henan Provincial Communications Planning, Survey, and Design Institute (HPCPSDI) Company Limited, which since its establishment in 1964 had undertaken highway survey and design for over 10,000 km, including the Sections of Beijing-Hong Kong-Macau Expressway and Lianyungang-Huoerguosi Expressway in Henan Province, Monday signed an agreement in this connection with the implementing agency of the Bangladeshi government's highway expansion project.

Special Works Organization of Bangladesh Army is the implementing agency of the Bangladesh government project which involves upgrading of 55 km of highway that connects the country's largest Padma bridge and lies to the southwest of capital Dhaka.

Officials said the upgrading will convert the existing two lane road to a four lane access controlled express way including the two service roads of the highway.

After construction of over 3-billion-U.S. dollar Padma bridge and its approaches, according to a project paper, it will be one of Bangladesh's major transport corridors linking capital Dhaka to the country's south and west as well as linking Bangladesh with India, Nepal and Bhutan.

The significance of the route will increase as a result of agreements signed under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation or SAARC, it said.

The state-run Chinese company as a consultant will be responsible for the detailed designs of elevated inter changes and overpasses and under passes at important intersections in these road sections including culverts and all other relevant road structures.

In line with the agreement signed here on Monday, officials said the Chinese company will have to submit a detailed design by January next year.

In this connection, Colonel Iftekhar Anis, director of the highway expansion project, and Wang Shijie, vice president of HPCPSDI, signed an agreement on behalf of their respective organizations here on Monday.

Source : XINHUA