With the visibility of 8 kilometers viaduct of the country’s first-ever metro rail, the authority is now installing the rail tracks over the viaduct. So far, a total of about 60 percent of the work of the metro rail has been completed from Uttara to Agargaon – about 12 kilometers stretch of the metro rail line.
The contractor of the project has been given green signal to install rail line on the viaduct and Overhead Catenaries of and System (OCS) on a stretch of 1.74 km from pier 44 to pier 102. According to the Metro Rail Project, the construction from Uttara to Agargaon began in August 2017 under package three and four. In the meantime, the authority concerned has completed check boring, test pile, main pile, and eye-guarder construction work.
Till now, 743 of the total 766 pile capes, 380 of the total 393 pair head, 4884 of the total 5149 precast segments casting have been completed, total 8.04 kilometers viaduct is visible and the rest of the continuous viaduct erection is continuing. The sub-structures of nine stations from Uttara to Agargaon have already been completed. At present, Uttara North, Uttara Centre is continuing.
The metro rail authority is also constructing five long span balance cantilevers, to ensure normal water flow and traffic system. Officials of the project have informed that a sample train will be set up in the metro rail depot in Diyabari in January to familiarise citizens with the transport system.
Based on the rolling stock and depot equipment collection under package eight, as per the progress report, it was learned that the metro train mock-up will arrive on 31st December this year. The first metro trainset is scheduled to arrive on June 15 next year. On the arrival of the first set, the authority will go for an integrated test and trial run. Till now it has achieved about 20 percent progress.
"The tracks will be installed on the viaducts from Uttara to Agargaon and will be visible by end of December this year," said MAN Siddique, Managing Director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL). The steel frame for the depot shade has been made. Test track bed, coach unloading area, jack pit, bogie turntables, bogie wash plant and other parts have been built as well.
Other infrastructures, including power sub-station, power supply system, administration building, mosque, medical center have been constructed too. On this part, about 60 percent construction has been achieved. The government has been implementing the metro rail project from Uttara to Motijheel in eight packages.
The land development work of the depot (package-I) area which started on September 8, 2016, has been completed. The progress of civil work under package-2 is 57 percent and the rest of the work will be finished by June next year.
