Delay in foot over-bridge construction causes traffic chaos in Shyamoli

 Tahmina Akhter stood patiently, anticipating her turn to cross Mirpur Road at the bustling Shyamoli intersection in the afternoon. Once a group of about four or five people had gathered, they synchronised their movements to traverse the road together.   

Employing a simple hand gesture, they signalled the oncoming vehicles to halt, allowing them safe passage. Nonetheless, their journey was punctuated by intermittent pauses as not all vehicles responded simultaneously.

This required them to remain vigilant, attentively assessing their surroundings before confidently navigating the intersection.

"We have to cross the intersection like this every day. The foot over-bridge at this location has been under demolition and repair for nearly 10 months, yet progress is agonisingly slow," Tahmina told The Business Standard.

"Many pedestrians have experienced minor accidents while crossing the road here," she added.

A visit to the area last Sunday afternoon revealed that the flow of traffic on both sides of the road was disrupted by pedestrians more than 150 times per hour, leading to traffic congestion. Around 1,200 pedestrians navigated the crossing within this timeframe.

Despite the presence of two traffic police officers at the intersection, neither the pedestrians nor the motorists appeared to be adhering to established traffic regulations.

Selim, a bus driver with Baishakhi Paribahan Ltd, said traffic congestion plagues this segment of Shyamoli throughout the day. In the absence of a foot over-bridge, pedestrians frequently disregard traffic regulations in crossing the road.

Masum Billah, a car driver, said the absence of the foot over-bridge has heightened the risk of accidents in the area.

Several drivers and motorcyclists said effective enforcement by traffic police, along with regulated pedestrian crossings, could instil a degree of order. They urged a swift construction of the foot-over bridge and its prompt opening for public use.

According to local residents and the Dhaka North City Corporation, the foot over-bridge on Mirpur Road at the Shyamoli intersection underwent demolition in November 2022 due to its ageing structure. Subsequently, efforts were made to initiate the construction of a new foot over-bridge, though the progress has been notably sluggish.

In accordance with the stipulated timeline, the construction phase was anticipated to conclude in April. However, despite a subsequent two-month extension, the construction has not reached completion within this timeframe.

Samiul Islam, a student at Dhaka Residential Model College, braves daily dangers while crossing the Shyamoli intersection road. He told TBS that the constant apprehension of being struck by a vehicle shadows his road crossings.

"Some of my friends have already suffered injuries after being hit by cars," he said.

Acknowledging the pedestrians' plight, the traffic police dispatched two appeals to the city corporation. However, the foot over-bridge construction still remains unfinished.

Abu Taher, a traffic police constable overseeing this area, told TBS about the daunting challenge of maintaining order.

"Frequent altercations arise between pedestrians and drivers. Two to three minor accidents also occur here every day. The absence of a foot over-bridge significantly compounds traffic congestion issues," he said.

Shah Alam, owner of a makeshift shop on the footpath, said the construction work of the foot over-bridge has been going on for nearly a year. Occasionally, progress is made, only to halt for another month. After the last Eid, work ceased for one and a half months."

"The construction work started last Saturday after a long break," he added.

Md Forhad, director of Traffic Infrastructure Development and Road Safety Project at Dhaka North City Corporation, told TBS that the project will conclude this month. 

"The foot over-bridge is anticipated to be accessible to city commuters in the coming month's initial or second week. Initially, it will be operational without escalators, though they will be subsequently installed," he said.

According to Dhaka North City officials, a total of 36 new footbridges will be built in the area under a project, with an estimated budget of approximately Tk320 crore. In addition, plans include installing 16 escalators within eight existing footbridges, at a rate of two per bridge. However, despite the project's extended timeline, several foot over-bridges remain incomplete.

Initially endorsed by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) in October 2020, the project is expected to be concluded by 31 December 2023.