Bridges Division makes 25% progress in Padma bridge project

padmaThe key components are construction of the main bridge, river training and construction of connecting roads at Jajira and Mawa

Bridges Division made around 25% progress in implementation of Padma bridge project till September with awarding work orders to different consultants and contractors for its four key components, official sources said.

The key components are construction of the main bridge, river training and construction of connecting roads at Jajira and Mawa.

“We hope the construction of the main bridge will start within a short time, but we cannot exactly mention a specific date,” Project Director Shafiqul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

A Chinese firm had already brought main construction materials to Mawa point and some materials were at Chittagong port, he said.

“Piling drive hammers now being made by Germany will be brought to Bangladesh through sea route.”

Shafiqul said financial progress made in Padma bridge project was 23% while physical progress would be 15%. “The construction of Padma bridge will definitely be completed within four years.”

They had already sent a proposal to the cabinet committee for getting approval for the supervision consultant for the construction work of the main bridge and river training, he added.

According to the proposal, the government would award the construction supervision job to a Korean joint-venture company which would be placed before the cabinet committee on public purchase on October 13.

The technical evaluation committee had given its approval for appointing the Korean Expressway Corporation as the construction supervision consultant (CSC) for the main bridge and river training against around Tk331.15 crore.

The government had already allocated Tk8,100 crore for its fast-track Padma bridge project in the budget for the current fiscal year.

On September 10, the government awarded river training work to Chinese company Sinohydro.

On June 17, it signed an agreement with a Chinese firm, China Major Bridge Engineering Company, for the construction of around 6.15-kilometre main part of Padma bridge, which is set to start by November and end by 2018.

Because of a three-year delay for alleged corruption which was raised by the World Bank, the cost of the project, to be implemented solely with government funding, would increase by around Tk4,000 crore from the current estimate of Tk20,507 crore, said officials of Bridges Division that now aims to complete the long-awaited project by 2018, three years behind the original schedule.

dhakatribune

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