Japan is set to fund a project undertaken to upgrade more than 60 bridges in the country's western zone like eastern zone aiming to ensure smooth traffic.
A draft loan agreement in this regard was finalised in a meeting with a mission of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) last week at the Economic Relations Division.
Official sources said Japan's cooperation for the Western Bangladesh Bridge Improvement Project is a part of its pledges to work for developing the country's transport sector.
Under this project, more than 60 bridges in the country's western zone including Khulna, Barisal, Gopalganj, Bogra, Rangpur and Rajshahi will be repaired, rehabilitated and reconstructed by applying new technology, according to the sources.
The loan agreement on the Western Bangladesh Bridge Improvement Project (WBBIP) would likely be signed next month under the JICA's 36th Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) package, said an official who declined to make any comment on JICA's total loan.
Sources said the JICA mission hinted at signing the loan agreement in the current month, but it was not possible for the authority for their inability to make the project ready.
They said the ministry concerned needed more time to complete formalities like approval of the development project proposal for making the proposed Tk 29 billion (2900 crore) project ready for signing.
The Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) was done on August 05 when the JICA mission was in the country.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges took up the WBBIP at a time in 2012 when JICA's funds were being spent on improvement of 68 bridges in the country's eastern zone including Chittagong, Comilla and Sylhet.
After receiving a government's request in this regard, the JICA technical team conducted a feasibility study on the western part and recommended improvement of 106 bridges.
Though the ministry requested JICA to upgrade all the 187 existing bridges in Barisal, Khulna, Gopalganj, Rajshahi and Rangpur zones, sources said, only 60 to 70 bridges would be repaired, rehabilitated and reconstructed under the project to make those two lanes.
There will have a provision of turning those bridges into four-lane during upgradation, they added.
The JICA had financed the Eastern Bangladesh Bridge Improvement Project under which 15 temporary bridges, 42 one-lane bridges and nine damaged two-lane bridges among over a hundred bridges were upgraded in Dhaka, Sylhet, Comilla and Chittagong regions.
Due to the country's geographical location and economic expansion, the majority of the roads have been facing traffic pressure, creating scope for expansion of all the bridges. The western zone covers areas of salinity and erosion for having a good number of canals and rivers which created the demand for making existing bridges fit against salinity and coping with the changing environment.
The socio-environment and economic impact of the WBBIP is significant as it is likely to help the country transport agricultural products, increase mobility of people for education and promote trade and business.
Transport sector is the JICA's one of the priority sectors providing 15 per cent of its total funds till now.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
