The government has approved the projects under its Annual Development Programme (ADP) of 2006-2007 fiscal year in May.

The roads to be developed as per recommendations of Chittagong Metropolitan Master Plan (CMMP) included North-South Link Road, Link Road from CEPZ to Port Connecting Road (Port By-pass Road) and Widening and Improvement of Siraj-Ud Doula Road.

CPA will also provide Tk 42 crore for the Tk 86 crore Port By-pass Road project, sources said.

Under the Tk 115.22 crore North-South Link Road project, a six-km road with a width of 120 feet to 160 feet will be constructed from Ambagan to Dhaka Trank Road-Bayezid Bostami Link Road near the proposed Asian University for Women, sources said.

The road will run through a bit of hilly terrain to link the landlocked new growing areas of Foyez Lake and Bayezid Bostami with the main city.

Of the total fund, around 90 crore will be spent for acquisition of land to construct the road, said the sources.

The CMMP prepared under the technical and financial assistance of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Centre for Human Settlement (UNCHS) in 1995 put an special emphasis on developing the road to open up new urban areas in the in the city's northern fringe to accommodate growing urban population and activities, sources at CDA said.

The implementation of the project is scheduled to start next month to be completed by 2010.

Under the Tk 86 crore CEPZ-Port Connecting Link Road (Port By-pass Road) project, a road will be constructed on the southwestern side of the city linking Cement Crossing with Port Connecting Road.

Passing through a vast track of land, the road will link the airport, CEPZ, Chittagong port and other different important installations at Patenga.

The road will also create an easy communication linkage between Halishahar and Faujderhat industrial areas, said the sources.

Construction of the Port By-pass Road with a width of 160 feet will begin this year and to be completed by 2010-2011 financial year, sources added.

Some 20.76 acres of land will be acquired from Bangladesh Railway, Water Development Board, Housing Settlement Department and private owners for construction of the road that will also serve as an outer ring road for Sadarghat, Shah Amanat Bridge, Oxygen-Quaish Road and Bayezid Bostami Road, sources said.

A project involving TK 23.61crore has also been taken for expansion and improvement of Siraj-ud-Doula Road.

Siraj-ud-Doula was developed 20 years ago for vehicular movement from Kaptai, Kalurghat and Mohara industrial area to the traditional business hubs in the then city centre of Asadganj, Khatunganj and Chaktai. Development of the road became indispensable as it lost traffic volume due to narrowness and was unable to make passage for some five lakh people using the road everyday.

CDA, however, removed illegal structures from both the sides of the road to start expansion work.

Of the total cost of the project, around Tk 18 crore was required for land acquisition and compensation, sources said.

Construction of the road is scheduled to start next month to be completed by June 2009.

After completion of work, the road will create a good communication linkage between Chawk Bazar, Bahadderhat, Muradpur and Anderkilla, Kotwali and Asadganj-Khatunganj areas, sources said.