The long-awaited 8.55-km road-cum-embankment project from Kalurghat to Chaktai is now back on track, with work progressing rapidly after the resolution of a critical funding crisis.

After a two-year stall, officials expect the new route to be open to traffic by the revised deadline of June 2026.

According to project officials, 83% of the overall work has been completed, with the remaining portion expected to be completed by the new deadline.

The project, launched to address the city's chronic waterlogging and improve traffic flow, suffered significant delays over the past two fiscal years due to a lack of funds for acquiring land for a 1.5-kilometre stretch.

The prolonged delays drew sharp criticism as the project saw an 81% progress till January this year, despite multiple deadline extensions.

However, funds for land acquisition were finally sanctioned in July, accelerating the progress, officials concerned said.

Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) Executive Engineer and Project Director (PD) Rajib Das said that they started getting allocation for the acquisition of rest land from last month, after around two years.

“The deadline has been extended by another year. With the funding issue resolved, compensation for landowners has almost been settled,” he said.

“Currently, work is underway on a one-kilometre stretch of the project, and we are working towards opening it to traffic by the revised deadline,” said the PD.

He also noted that the embankment has already become a tourist attraction after the placement of protective blocks.

The CDA plans to develop some shops and public toilets along the stretch to support tourism.

Mentionable, the CDA initiated the project “Construction of Road on the Bank of River Karnaphuli from Kalurghat Bridge to Chaktai Khal” in 2017, with an original completion date set for June 2020.

The deadline has since been extended annually, with the latest extension expiring in June this year. Initially estimated at Tk2,275 crore, the project cost was later revised to Tk2,779 crore.

This is one of the four key projects taken to address the long-drawn waterlogging crisis in the port city. A total of 12 tidal regulators are supposed to be installed under the project to prevent water from flooding the city during the tide.

Ten of these regulators are already operational, while work on the remaining two at the Kalurghat end is in progress, said sources.

Once implemented, the road will connect the Dhaka-Chattogram and Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar highways via the City Bypass Loop Road and Quaish Road, reducing traffic congestion in the city.

The new route will allow vehicles from Kaptai, Rangunia and Boalkhali upazilas to bypass the city centre en route to South Chattogram, while the traffic from South Chattogram will be able to reach the city’s northern area more easily.

The embankment and regulators will also protect the important business establishments at Chaktai, Khatunganj, Boxir Hat, Bakolia, Chandgaon and Kalurghat heavy industrial areas from the waterlogging.

Project officials informed that although the project was initiated in 2017, physical work could commence in 2019 following the appointment of a consultant, completion of drawing designs, and the tendering process.