62% work of Bangabandhu railway bridge completed

Around 62 per cent work of the country's largest railway bridge “Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge” over the Jamuna River has been completed so far.

The railway bridge has become visible with the tireless efforts of about 4,500 local and foreign workers.

Sources of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge Project Office said the Bangabandhu Bridge built in Tangail and Sirajganj districts on the Jamuna River has a railway line connected to it, but the train has to cross the bridge slowly as around 38 trains run through the bridge every day.

Therefore, the government took up the project of constructing a separate railway bridge to the north of the existing bridge to create a safe, dynamic and inter-Asian communication corridor.

A total of 30.73km railway line including 0.05km viaduct, 7.67km railway approach embankment and loops and sidings will be constructed on both sides of the 4.80km parallel dual-gauge double track of Bangabandhu Bridge. The total allocation of this mega project is about Tk 16,780.96 crore.

According to authorities, after the completion of the dual gauge double track bridge, 88 trains will run over it. It will run at a speed of 100-120km per hour.

Workers from Japan, Vietnam, Nepal, Australia, Philippines and Bangladesh are engaged in the construction of the bridge. A total of 700 engineers, including foreign and domestic engineers, are working in the project.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge Project Director Fattah Al Md Masudur Rahman said the work of the railway bridge is going on at a fast pace. Local and foreign workers are working day and night to build the bridge.

The installation of span from pillar number 50 to 34 in Tangail section has been completed. The installation of the span of pillar number 34 to 24 is also underway, the project director said.

The project is scheduled to be completed by August 2024.