The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has proposed building 15 important bridges on highway corridors to improve inter-regional connectivity, according to officials.
They said the bridges will be built either at missing links on highways or beside existing congested bridges reaching their full traffic capacity.
The state-run agency is seeking $1.15 billion (Tk 117.61 billion) to construct the bridges.
The RHD recently submitted a preliminary development project proposal (PDPP) to the Planning Commission and Economic Relations Division (ERD) to secure funding for the bridges, totalling a stretch of 14,000 metres.
According to the proposal, the state-run road developer has proposed to construct 1.25km Sultana Kamal Bridge-II on the Sitalakhya River at Tarabo-Demra highway, 1.20km 2nd Bosila Bridge on Turag river, 1.40km Swarighat Bridge on Buriganga river at Gabtoli-Swarighat Road, 1.40km Banaripur Bridge at Danduat-Nazirpur road in Barisal, and 1.20km Laxmipasha Bridge on Porardhan river of Barisal.
Besides, the RHD has also proposed to build 1.0km Chandroghona Bridge on Karnaphuli river at Rangamati-(Ghagra)- Chandroghona-Bangalhalia-Bandarban road, 1.10km Brahmaputra Bridge on Brahmaputra river at Sherpur-Kanashakhola-Chandrakona-Narayankhola-Ratbhadrapur-Paranganj-Mymensingh Road, 1.40km Someswari Bridge-3 on Someswari river at Sunamganj-Netrakona-Mymensingh-Sherpur-Jamalpur (Dhanua-Kamlapur) border road, and 1.20 km Brahmaputra Uchakhila Bridge on Brahmaputra river at Ishwarganj-Ucakhila-Ahammadabad Bazar-Trishal road.
"We have sent the project proposal to the Planning Commission to explore foreign aid options. They will forward it to the ERD for securing the necessary funds," said a senior Roads Transport and Bridges Ministry official.
Once funding is confirmed, we will move on to preparing the development project proposal (DPP) with detailed bridge designs and project specifics, he added.
A Planning Commission official confirmed to The Financial Express about reviewing the project and forwarding it to the ERD for funding.
According to an RHD official, the state-owned road developer will also construct a 1,750 metres interchange for free flow of traffic, bank protection or river training works, access roads with the toll plaza and weigh bridge for access road control.
"We will upgrade the heavily busy Tarabo intersection on the Dhaka-Sylhet National Highways (N2) and the Kanchpur intersection on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway (N1)," he added.
The RHD believes these interchanges will remarkably improve traffic movement on highways.
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