The work to install all the 2,917 roadway slabs of Padma Multipurpose Bridge was completed on Monday, said Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader.

“The carpeting work on the bridge will begin at the end of October as the bridge will be opened to traffic in June 2022," he said.

Quader, also the general secretary of Awami League, revealed the information while speaking at a virtual meeting on Monday.

Read ‘Godspeed Bangladesh’: ICCB on Padma Bridge

“About 90.25 % work of the main part of the bridge has been completed while 84.25% of the river training work has been done. With these, a total of 87.25% work on the bridge  has been completed,” he said.

This is one of the top priority projects of the government as it has planned to strengthen the country’s communications network, aiming to give a boost to economic activity.     

On December 10, 2020, the last span, named 2S, was installed on pillars 12 and 13 of the bridge at Mawa point.

Read Authority places lighted buoy to protect Padma Bridge from ferries

About Padma Bridge

China Major Bridge Engineering Corporation (MBEC), was appointed for the main bridge work. The steel material bridge’s length is 6.15 km, viaduct 3.148 km (road), 532 m (rail), approach road: 12.117 km, span: 41 (with each span being 150 meters long). 

However, the project was first approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) with an estimated cost of Tk10,161 crore in 2007. 

Following irreconcilable differences with the World Bank arising out of the issue of financing in 2012, the government decided to go for it alone. 

Read Ferries plying around Padma Bridge to get outer rubber layer

The second revision of the project was approved by Ecnec on January 5, 2016 with an estimated cost of Tk 28,794 to be implemented by 2018. Without changing the project proposal, the costs were increased again to Tk 30,193 crore In June 2018.

Rail Link

On October 14, last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opened the construction work on a rail link between Dhaka and Jashore under the ‘Padma Bridge Rail Link Construction Project.’

The first phase of the ‘Padma Bridge Rail Link Construction Project’ will establish a rail link between Mawa and Bhanga via Janjira and Shibchar through the Padma Multipurpose Bridge.

Read Padma Bridge, Metro Rail opening to public within June 2022: Quader

This will connect Dhaka, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Shariatpur, Madaripur, Faridpur, Gopalganj, Narail and Jashore.

China Railway Group Limited, a Chinese government-nominated contractor, is implementing the project under the China G2G system.