Padma Bridge awaits carpeting work

The much-talked-about Padma Bridge will open for traffic movement in June next year as the authorities are set to start carpeting work by the end of October after the completion of slab installation.

The Padma Multipurpose Bridge project authorities on Monday completed installing the roadway slabs on the bridge by setting up the last slab on the span between the 12 and 13 No. piers.

As a result the 6.15-kilometre-long Bridge roadway became visible between Mawa point at Munshiganj and Janjira point in Shariatpur to connect the capital with 21 southwestern districts of the country.

As the slabs installation work is totally completed, the bridge authorities isnow concentrating their work on carpeting to accomplish the work as soon as possible so vehicular movement can begin in line with the government set deadline.

“Now, we are focusing our job on carpeting the slabs to make it ready for vehicular movement. Though around 90 per cent of raw materials have already been collected, carpeting work could not be started as of now due to the rainy season as rains damage carpeting,” said Padma Bridge project executive engineer Dewan Md Abdul Quader while talking to The Business Post.

“We are hopeful to start carpeting work at the end of October or from the first week of November depending on the weather,” he added.

The project officials said that the carpeting the thickness will be four inches over the total six lanes of 10 km road and bridge.

Bitumen from Eastern Refinery, foreign stones from Dubai and India will be used for the carpeting work on the bridge.

Ruling Awami League general secretary and also Road Transport and Bridges minister Obaidul Quader had earlier said that the government had a plan to open the bridge for traffic movement in June 2022.

According to a physical progress report of the bridge, the progress of the overall project is 87.25 per cent while progress on bridge work is 94.25 per cent by July.

Bangladesh Bridge Authority started implementing the 6.15-kilometre-long road-cum-railway Padma Bridge with approach roads between Mawa point at Munshiganj and Janjira point in Shariatpur to connect the capital with 21 south-western districts of the country.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the construction work officially on December 12, 2015.

Till now, the cost of the fast-track project has stood at Tk 30,193 crore.

In 1999, Bangladesh Bridge Authority conducted a pre-feasibility study at Mawa-Janjira point for constructing a bridge.

The project cost now stands at Tk 30,193 crore of GoB fund, almost three times higher than the initial cost of Tk 10,161 crore estimated on August 28, 2007. The project duration was also extended several times though it was scheduled to be completed by 2014.

The World Bank, a primary lender of the project, had cancelled its $1.2 billion credit in 2012 citing ‘conspiracy for corruption’ by some officials.

Following the World Bank, other multinational lenders like Asian Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency also suspended loans for the same project.