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Upper deck of Padma Bridge completed

Carpeting to start in October


Published : 23 Aug 2021 09:29 PM | Updated : 24 Aug 2021 12:34 AM

The work of laying the road slabs on the Padma Bridge has been completed. As a result, 6.15 kilometer road over the bridge is now totally visible.

With this, construction work on Padma Bridge is now 94.25 percent completed, officials said.

“The last roadway slab of the bridge was laid on Monday morning,” said Padma Bridge Executive Engineer Dewan Abdul Quader.

He said, “Completion of the roadway slab installation over the Padma Bridge takes us one step ahead towards our success.”

Laying of the last 2,917 roadway slab of the bridge was completed on Monday morning. Earlier, the work of laying the railway slabs of the two storey bridge was completed on June 20 this year.

According to the people involved in the project, the road carpeting work will start at the end of October next. This work may take up to three months. 

The bridge contractor China Major Bridge Engineering Company (MBEC) has informed the bridge department that they will complete the entire bridge work by April 30.  

Meanwhile, officials are optimistic that it is possible to open the Padma Bridge to traffic by May next. However, the bridge department said that inauguration timing will be fixed after discussions with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Besides, the work of installing gas line through the Padma bridge has started. At the same time, the work of installing railway line is also about to complete.

The entire work will be completed before June next year. For this, everyone related with the construction of the bridge are working round the clock.

Meanwhile, Minister for Road Transport and Bridges Obaidul Quader came to the Padma Bridge project area and announced that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would inaugurate the bridge any day in June 2022.

Local and foreign workers working on the bridge project are working towards that goal. So far, 94.50 percent of the work on the main bridge has been completed. 

Padma Bridge Project Director Md. Shafiqul Islam said, “As the roadway slab is installed, more manpower will now be added to construct the side walls of the bridge. Now there is no big obstacle in the work of the project. Work on the bridge will be completed by June.”

According to the engineers of the bridge project, the overall work of the bridge project has progressed by 87.25 percent till July this year. The progress of the work of the main bridge is 94.25 percent. That means only 5.75 percent of the work remaining.