Shawdesh Desk:

Commuters in the port city were caught in snarls Tuesday morning, with the authorities closing down a carriageway of the busy Bahaddarhat flyover following cracks on its pillars.

The decision to suspend the movement of vehicles on the Kalurghat carriageway of the flyover was taken by Chattogram City Corporation and Chattogram Metropolitan Police on Monday night after cracks were spotted in the pillars of the ramp towards Arakan Road.

Local councillor Esrarul Haque Esral said that the decision was taken to avoid any accident on the flyover. In addition to the police barricades, two traffic cops have been deployed to keep a tab on vehicles.

Moinur Rahman, the officer-in-charge of the Chandgaon Police Station said Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) was informed about the cracks “as they’re responsible for the maintenance of the flyover”. “However, vehicles are plying on the Sholokbohor carriageway of the flyover.”

This is not the first time that cracks have been spotted on the flyover. In January 2018, a big crack appeared in one of the ramps linking the flyover.

In November 2012, 17 people were killed when three steel girders of the flyover collapsed during construction work in the Bahaddarhat area. Again on June 29 of that year, a 130-foot-long concrete girder collapsed in Bahaddarhat.

To reduce traffic in the city, the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) took the initiative to build MA Mannan flyover from the city’s toll plaza to Bahaddarhat, an area of one kilometre.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone in January 2010. Later, the Bangladesh Army was entrusted with the responsibility of supervising its construction work. Hasina inaugurated the flyover on 12 October, 2013.