The century-old Kalurghat Bridge over the Karnaphuli River is finally going to be replaced with a new one at a cost of Tk 115.60 billion, as the interim government is likely to approve the first railway project after reviewing its cost.
Official sources said the rail-cum-road bridge project is set to be placed in the next weekly meeting of the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC).
They said the project of the Bangladesh Railway (BR) was selected among eight others of different ministries to be placed before the ECNEC on October 7 as the Planning Commission has found the cost acceptable after reviewing it recently.
An official said the BR had sent the Kalurghat bridge project to the ECNEC on July 1 after revising the Development Project Proposal as per guidelines of the PEC meeting held on April 18. The first estimated cost was Tk 130 billion.
The length of the bridge will be 11.44 kilometres, including 700-metre main bridge which will be a dual gauge double line. The viaduct will be 6.2 km long.
The Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) of South Korea which will fund Tk 71.25 billion has conducted the feasibility study three times since then due to indecision over the bridge's design.
The original metre gauge rail bridge is used as road bridge after road traffic was allowed on it in 1962.
The new bridge site has been selected 70 metres upstream of the existing bridge with a navigation height of 12.2 metres.
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