Padma Bridge asphalting begins

Asphalting the Padma Multipurpose Bridge has begun though rain was hampering the progress of works.

The much-talked-about mega project is taking a complete shape and the bridge is expected to be opened for traffic movement by June next year.

A 100-millimetre thick layer of asphalt would be applied on the concrete slabs of the main bridge.

The project executive engineer Dewan Md Abdul Quader said that they have asphalted 60 metres of the viaduct of the bridge on Wednesday and rain might hamper their work.

Project director of Padma Bridge Project Md Shafiqul Islam told The Business Post that they had all preparation for asphalting the main bridge but they could not start it as it was raining.

“We are still facing rain here but we cannot wait for more to complete the work in time,” he said.

He said that they will complete asphalting by May 2020.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader at an event on October 3 had said that they would start asphalting on the bridge by November.

The project officials said that overall project progress is 84 per cent while progress for the main bridge is 92 per cent and river training works 79 per cent.

Padma Bridge is the biggest bridge project in Bangladesh and its construction work began in December 2014. On September 30, 2017, the first span was installed between the 37th and 38th pillars. The last span was installed on December 10, 2020.

The Bangladesh Bridge Authority is implementing the 6.15-kilometre long road-cum-rail bridge on the high current river with approach roads between Mawa point in Munshiganj and Janjira point in Shariatpur to connect the capital with 21 south-western districts of the country.

The project deadline was extended for the fifth time till June 2022 while in 2018 the project cost shot up to Tk 30,193 crore.