Govt fixes eyes on March 2022 for Padma Bridge opening to traffic

Opening of Padma Bridge to traffic is possible by early March 2022 marking the historic March 7, a memorable day in the history of Bangalees, project insiders said.

However, the authority is likely to miss the deadline for opening the bridge to traffic on December16 next year.

According to the project insiders, the Padma Multipurpose Bridge project (PMBP) has already overcome all its major challenges with installation of 41spans on the 6.15-km bridge.

They said the rest work might be faster if the coronavirus did not hit it.

The project officials and experts said completion of placing composite steel truss on 41 spans has proven the success in fixing soil and design related problems in 22 piers detected after the construction work of the bridge began in 2016.

Though the coronavirus has slowed down the progress of the construction work on road-cum-rail bridge during the last one year, they also said, the rest of the work can be completed with the target to open it to traffic in March 2022.

"March 7 can be considered as the grand opening of Padma Bridge to make the historic day more memorable," said an insider.

Project officials and panel of experts said that except some problems in the river training work (RTW), the project work has picked up pace despite hitting by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Chinese contractor is now placing railway slabs and roadway slabs to complete the road and railway. Some 2,917 roadway slabs and 2,958 railway slabs would be placed on the two-tier bridge.

Some 1,285 roadway slabs and 1,930 railway slabs were set up on the bridge on December 10 when the last span was installed on piers 12 and 13.

Besides, 3.14-km road viaducts and 532-metre rail viaducts on both sides of the bridge are also needed to complete. Piers of the viaduct have almost been completed.

Project Director M Shafiqul Islam said they will complete evaluation of the workload of the mega project within a month.

"We can then seek actual time from the government for opening the bridge to traffic," he said, adding that the project has faced a big challenge due to the coronavirus situation.

Engineer by profession, the PD has led the government's topmost priority project since November 2011 after the government took the decision to build the bridge with its own fund rejecting the World Bank's funding.

While talking over phone on Saturday, he said the Chinese contactor has already applied for time and they are facing a shortage of local workers and experts due to coronavirus.

The PMBP was approved in the first cabinet meeting as the topmost priority project after the Awami League formed the government on January 6, 2009.

Initially, the project cost was Tk 100 billion. Later, the project cost went up to Tk 301.19 billion.

The project deadline was also extended for five times from 2014 to till 2018. Now the deadline of December 16, 2021 will be revised for the sixth time.

The PD said the project's present success has been possible due to taking timely and rightly decisions by the prime minister.

PoE chairman Prof Shamsuzzaman Basunia said the PMB project has proven that all problems can have engineering solution and the government's support is necessary for successful implementation of all mega projects.

"Mega projects are different by their nature and size. So, it needs special attention and support which was given by the prime minister," he said on Saturday.

However, the PoE head who was made chairman after the death of Prof Jamilur Reza Chowdhury in April laid importance on proper time calculation of this kind of important projects to avoid sensitising people through media over completion of projects.

The construction work of the main bridge began in December 2016 after completing contract signing of the main bridge and RTW. But executing agency Bangladesh Bridge Authority awarded the work to build 12.11-kilometre approach roads on both sides of the river along with the service area development work to a local company to manage the time lapse.

The project's main crisis, created over the selection of construction supervision consultant (CSC), was also divided into two parts giving the Bangladesh Army to work as the CSC of the approach road package works.

The Korean company was selected as the CSC after works of the main bridge and RTW were awarded to two Chinese companies.

Project insiders said its till needs political commitment to complete the project as the RTW is still behind schedule.

Ainun Nishat, a member of PoE and RTW expert, said the project has been trying to analyze the behaviour of the river. "But the project's major challenge is over and we are expecting to overcome RTW challenges in time."