Payra Bridge awaits inauguration

The Payra Bridge over the Payra River in the Lebukhali area of Barishal district will be opened for traffic in October, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said Wednesday.

“The Payra Bridge in the Lebukhali area is like another Padma Bridge for the people of the southern region, and the bridge will be opened for traffic next month,” he said.

The Minister said this while inaugurating as many as 11 bridges in three districts virtually from the office of the additional chief engineer of Barishal Roads and Highways division.

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the bridge,” said Abdul Halim, director of the Payra Bridge Project.

The construction of the main bridge is complete while some ancillary works are ongoing, he said. “Payra Port will be benefitted after the bridge gets inaugurated as it will boost road connectivity with rest of the country, he added.

The four-lane 1.47-kilometre long and 19.76-metre wide bridge has connected on both sides by cable.

Up to 7km of connecting roads on both sides has been developed. The bridge has been constructed using extradited cable-stayed technology.

Around Tk 1,446 crore was spent to complete the construction of the bridge.

In 2013, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation of the bridge.

The project, implemented by Chinese contractor Longjian Road and Bridge Construction, was initially set to be complete by April 2019, around 33 months after the beginning of development on July 24, 2016.

The construction faced numerous delays and the ongoing pandemic slowed down the process.

“The project is jointly funded by the Bangladesh government and Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED),” said Md Masud Mahmud Suman, executive engineer of Roads and Highways Department, Barishal.

The bridge will ensure faster transportation of various goods from the port to other parts of the country, he also added.

The increased connectivity will accelerate the development of the local tourism industry as the number of domestic and foreign travellers in Kuakata will increase, said Motaleb Sharif, general secretary of the Kuakata Hotel-Motel Owners Association.

Mir Mohammad Kamrul Hasan, executive engineer of the Patuakhali Roads and Highways Department, said once the Payra bridge is open, road traffic in the area will increase and subsequently, the government’s revenue as well.

With the launch of Padma Bridge, people will have the opportunity to travel to the country’s south-western regions by road instead of ferries.

Similarly, the opening of the Payra Bridge will facilitate the growth of economic and trade activities in the country’s southern region.

Mohiuddin Ahmed, president of the Patuakhali Chamber of Commerce and Industry, echoed the views of Hasan.

Sydur Rahman Rintu, president of Barishal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the bridge, which was the dream of the people of the southern region, is now a reality.

“Many entrepreneurs will be now interested to invest at Kuakata sea beach. Payra port will be more utilised because of the bridge,” he added

The unemployment in southern region will decrease after inauguration of the bridge, he added.