The contract period to oversee the main bridge and river training work of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge construction project has been extended for another 34 months. Consultancy firms, Korea Expressway Corporation (KEC) and AMP Associates are in contract for the job.
Contract with the companies for the job has been extended from September 2020 to June 2022. In it, construction supervision period has been extended for 22 months with a Defect Liability Period (DLP) for 12 months.
The government will spend 348.32 crore taka for extending the contract. 55.7 percent of the amount will be paid in Bangladeshi currency and 44.3 percent in foreign currency.
A procurement proposal in this regard will be presented at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase chaired by Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Wednesday, sources said.
According to the sources, all kinds of activities have come to a standstill due to the spread of coronavirus Pandemic around the world. This has had a devastating effect on the construction of the Padma Bridge, the country's largest project. Many foreigners left the project area and went home.
Moreover, in the recent floods, the Padma river water level swelled above the danger level with strong current. It extensively damaged the project area slowing down the implementation of the project.
Therefore, the duration of the project had to be extended.
Bridge division sources said the progress of the construction work of Padma bridge was 89.25 percent till July, 2020 while river training was at 78 percent. Besides, overall progress of bridge construction was at 81 percent.
ask/zn
