BR to appoint consultant for new Kalurghat Rail-Road Bridge project
NAZIMUDDIN SHYAMOL | Sunday, 24 November 2024
A consultant for the construction of the new Kalurghat Rail-Road Bridge project in Chattogram is set to be appointed by Bangladesh Railway (BR) within February next year, while the tender for the appointment will be floated on December, according to sources.
The previously appointed consultant Korean Consultant Yooshin Engineering Corporation has completed the Development Project Proposal (DPP) and submitted their feasibility study, which was conducted from December 2021 to 2022, according to the BR.
According to the DPP, the new bridge will be constructed as a four-lane with a single deck. Traffic movement will be on the two-lane road while the railway lines will compromise an equal stretch of width on the bridge.
It was previously reported that the laying of foundation stones for the bridge over the Karnaphuli River is scheduled to be held on December.
To ensure a smooth road and rail link between Chattogram and Cox's Bazar, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on October 7 approved the project initially estimated to have been cost Tk 115.6077 billion.
The government of Bangladesh will provide Tk 44.35 billion, while the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) and Economic Development Promotion Facility (EDPF), Korea, are set to fund the rest of the Tk 71.2515 billion. The bridge, set to come into completion by 2030, will replace an old bridge at the spot.
On June 27, BR authorities reached an agreement for a loan agreement of around USD 81.49 million (approx Tk 9.77 billion) with South Korea's Exim Bank.
The Road Transport And Highways Division of will construct the roads connecting to the bridge directly linking Jane Ali Hat to Gomdandi Rail Station, sources said.