The Padma bridge project is set to reach a new height as the last steel truss span may be installed today (Thursday) to make the 6.15-kilometre bridge visible.
Sources said the span has already been taken to the Mawa site to be placed on piers 12 and 13.
"If everything (weather and technical issues) favours, we'll complete the span installation work tomorrow," said an official seeking anonymity on Wednesday.
Secrecy has been maintained to avoid crowd due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, he added.
Project director M Shafiqul Islam said as project sites have been under lockdown since March to check the spread of virus, no formal function has been arranged.
When asked, he replied that the last span would be installed any day before December 15.
Sources, however, said three to four-stage work is still needed to ready the bridge for traffic movement.
The Tk 300-billion Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project (PMBP) has revised its deadline of completing the country's longest rail-cum-road bridge by December 2021 from June 2021.
But the deadline might be revised further as the fallout of coronavirus and floods on the project work.
Following the outbreak of coronavirus since December 2019 and this year's floods delayed the work in the absence of technical people on project sites.
Bangladesh Bridges Authority executive director M Belayet Hossain said they expect to complete the work before the end of December as river water has drastically fallen at the start of dry reason.
Although the span installation work missed the deadline, sources said, the contractor continued to place road and rail slabs on the sites where steel truss frames were installed.
They said 1,285 out of 2,917 road slabs have already been set up and construction of rest slabs completed.
"Every day, we can set up six to seven road slabs," said an official working on the site expecting to complete the work by the next July-August.
According to official records, the project office has also completed placing 1,930 out of 2,958 rail slabs.
After completion of slab work comes carpeting, gas and electricity work to fully ready the bridge for use.
But sources said another target to run trains on the day of inaugural is likely to miss due to slow progress in the similar project.
The contactor, China Major Bridge Engineering Company, has also sought time up to April 2022.
The Padma rail link project, being implemented by Bangladesh Railway, has made around 29-per cent progress till now.
The executor also lagged behind its target to complete rail track installation work from Bhanga to Mawa.
Padma bridge is likely to bring a significant impact on the national economy for establishing a direct link with central and south-western regions.
It is also a part of the Asian Highway and Trans Asian rail link for having a link with Mongla seaport.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
