Uncertainty still looms large over train movement alongside road vehicles on the inaugural day of the Tk 30-billion rail-cum-road Padma Bridge.
An agreement is yet to reach to start the rail track development work on the bottom layer of the two-tier bridge, according to sources.
The Bangladesh Railway (BR) has already sought six months to complete its part of work and requested the Bangladesh Bridges Authority (BBA) to hand over the rail part next October.
But the BBA, the implementer of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge project, said they could not allow the BR to work on the site before March with substantial work still pending.
The government recently targeted to open the country's longest bridge in June 2022 simultaneously with rail and road after revising this December deadline following work delay due to coronavirus pandemic.
The BBA is building the main bridge and the BR is developing rail tracks on either side of the 6.15-kilometre bridge to establish a rail link with it.
The BR under its Tk 392.46-billion 'Padma Bridge Rail Link Project' has a plan to run train from Bhanga station of Faridpur towards Padma bridge on the inaugural day.
Although physical work of both projects is done by two Chinese companies, sources said, the BBA's Chinese contractor has already placed a work plan to continue until January.
"The BBA wants the BR to work inside the main bridge area after completing its part of work by March," said an official seeking anonymity.
There is no scope to work simultaneously by the two agencies, he says.
Project director Golam Fakhruddin Ahmed Chowdhury said the BR contractor China Rail Group Limited has already completed its preparation to start work on the bridge.
As six months are required for the work on the main bridge, he said, the BR has requested the BBA to hand the railway part of the bridge in October.
According to Mr Chowdhury, they are still in talks with the BBA and are likely to get a confirmed time of the handover next July.
"If March is targeted to start work, the government has to revise its decision regarding inauguration," he told the FE over phone when asked about giving them time in March.
Although road and railway slab placement work is nearing completion, the PMB project office said, work is still to be done on installation of gas, electric and fibre optic lines.
The volume of work cannot be completed before March 2022. Some 92.3-per cent progress has been recorded as of April.
The rail link project office said piers development on Mawa and Jajira sides has almost been done except two piers, 14 and 15.
The piers were demolished after construction upon reservation from the BBA in September 2020 for not following standard of clearance of 5.7-metre vertical and 15.5-metre horizontal gap.
The BR has already connected rail track with the bridge on Mawa side and will soon link with Jajira side.
The progress in the project is recorded at 43 per cent while the work from Bhanga to Mawa at 56 per cent.
PMB project director Mohammad Shafiqul Islam said they are trying to complete the BBA's part of work by March.
But the matter of time extension depends on the work in the coming days, he added.
"We're trying to complete the work as early as possible,' he told the FE over phone.
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