CHATTOGRAM, Mar 03: At last, the Bangladesh Railway (BR) is going to build a two-tier road-cum-rail bridge over the Karnaphuli River in place of an old and dilapidated bridge at Kalurghat in the port city.
The BR authorities have already sent the Development of Project Proposal (DPP) to the ministry concerned for approval.
The construction work on the new bridge is expected to begin next year at a cost of Tk 12,000 crore, sources say.
They also say the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) may accept the DPP this month.
Meanwhile, the Korean consultant Yooshin Engineering Corporation has completed the DPP.
Earlier, the same consultant also submitted the feasibility study report to the BR. The consultant began the feasibility study in December in 2021 which was ended in 2022.
According to the DPP, construction work on the bridge was supposed to begin this year and will conclude in June 2028.
After the DPP approval, the government will sign an agreement with the Korean financer Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) for construction of the bridge.
The EDCF will provide Tk 8,000 crore for construction of the bridge while the government will provide Tk 4,000 crore, sources say.
Project Director Engineer Golam Mostafa has said, "The new bridge will be 70 metres upstream from the existing old one and its alignment will be from Jane Ali Haat to Gomdandi Rail Station."
"The roads and highways division will construct the roads connecting to the bridge." The EDCF of South Korea has agreed to fully fund the project as a soft loan to the Bangladesh government, he also says.
The sources say the government has undertaken the project to construct a bridge across the Karnaphuli at Kalurghat point in order to facilitate the communication with Myanmar through Chattogram-Ghundum railway line.
nazimuddinshyamol@gmail.com