Now Padma Bridge to be 6.15km
June 25, 2009
The length of the proposed Padma Bridge will be extended by .57 kilometre to 6.15 kilometres from its earlier proposed length of 5.58 kilometres.
The consultant firm, Maunsell Aecom limited, at its interim scheme design presentation programme at a city hotel disclosed the new length. Consultant of the project Ken Wheeler presented the interim scheme design.
“The consultant in its design has proposed extension of the bridge length to 6.15 kilometres,” Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain told reporters at the programme.
He said the scheme design would be finalised by next month. Until today, the consultant firm has finalised only 15 percent of the design.
In its design, it has proposed two sizes of spans –150 meters and 180 meters.
If 150-meter span is constructed, it would cost US$ 816 million while it would be US$ 887 for 180 meters, said Abul Hossain.
Replying to a query, he said there would be no problem with the funds to construct the bridge.
Bridges Division officials said all most all the funds for constructing the bridge between Mawa and Jazira would be provided by international lenders, including World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank and Japan International Corporation Agency.
In the meantime, IDB has agreed to provide Bangladesh with $1.3 billion for the construction of the much-expected Padma Bridge.
Saying that the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman envisioned the bridge to connect the northern region with the southern part of the country, the communications minister said with the construction of the bridge it would boost up business opportunities.
He said as per Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s desire, the construction of the bridge would be completed by the end of December 2013 when the tenure of the government will end also.
Earlier a couple of weeks ago, the prime minister asked the communications minister to take immediate initiative to start tender process for constructing the country’s longest bridge.
The communications minister also said already almost all compensation money for land acquisition in three districts — Shariatpur, Madaripur and Munshiganj — has given to the respective district’s deputy commissioners for resettlement of the people.
Representatives from different donor agencies, members of the panel of experts, consultant team and senior government officials were present at the programme.
Source: thedailystar.net
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