Approximately 90 percent work of main part of the Padma Bridge has been completed while the overall progress of the project is more than 81 percent, said Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader.
He made the remarks while addressing an online meeting regarding the progress of the Padma Bridge project at his residence in the capital on Friday.
Road, Transport and Bridges Ministry Secretary Md Belayet Hossain and project director Md Shafikul Islam were also present at the virtual meeting among others.
The minister said, “Some 31 spans among the 41 have been installed so far and currently 4,650 metres of the bridge is visible. Already 84 percent work of the river management has been completed.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the expressway once the construction work comes to an end, he added.
Even when the coronavirus broke out, construction was underway following health guidelines. However, rise in water lever due to floods and monsoon halted the installation of spans.
Apart from the main bridge construction, the progress of river management work is also progressing fast. Some 870 out of 2,927 roadway slabs have been installed while 1,400 out of 2,959 railway slabs and 195 out of 438 viaduct girders have also been installed, according to the project progress report.
Work of connecting roads and toll plaza on both sides of the rivers has been completed. Slopping work is going on in different places in addition to river management and dredging.
Meanwhile, an animal museum has been set up under the Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project. Sample collection of animals and natural resources is underway at Dogachi Padma Bridge Service Area-1 in Srinagar, Munshiganj as part of biodiversity conservation activities under the supervision of the Bridge Division Authority. So far, samples of 2,222 animals have been collected from home and abroad.
Besides, construction work of a military farm for breeding, milk and meat production is underway on 2,156 acres of land at Jajira point.
