Construction of $1.8b steel-truss Padma bridge begins next year
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
FE Report
The government will finalise the scheme design of the Padma multi-purpose bridge by the end of this month paving the way for beginning construction of the long-awaited world-class steel structure next year.
Official sources said the panel of experts has agreed on the scheme design after scrutiny of different aspects and decided to construct the bridge on steel-truss composite.
"It is almost decided that the main structure of the bridge will be made of steel," said Mohammad Zahid Hossain Ferdous, Secretary-in-Charge of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA).
He said the panel was yet to reach an agreement on some technical issues like the type and the diameter of the foundation, considering the possibility of it being linked to the proposed Trans-Asian highway in future.
"If possible the bridge's rail lines would be of the international standard gauge of other Asian countries," he said.
Sources said the panel of experts and consulting firms had so far been considering two options out of five for the construction of the US$1.8 billion bridge and came to an agreement on steel structure disposing the second option of concrete construction.
They said though the final decision on the mode of construction would come at the August 27 meeting, the panel and the consulting firms have been working on the design based on the steel structure.
Another BBA official said to build the bridge on concrete-structure would need almost six years.
"Steel based structure is possible to be completed within three and a half years and with a lower cost," he said preferring anonymity.
The government will finalise the scheme design of the Padma multi-purpose bridge by the end of this month paving the way for beginning construction of the long-awaited world-class steel structure next year.
Official sources said the panel of experts has agreed on the scheme design after scrutiny of different aspects and decided to construct the bridge on steel-truss composite.
"It is almost decided that the main structure of the bridge will be made of steel," said Mohammad Zahid Hossain Ferdous, Secretary-in-Charge of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA).
He said the panel was yet to reach an agreement on some technical issues like the type and the diameter of the foundation, considering the possibility of it being linked to the proposed Trans-Asian highway in future.
"If possible the bridge's rail lines would be of the international standard gauge of other Asian countries," he said.
Sources said the panel of experts and consulting firms had so far been considering two options out of five for the construction of the US$1.8 billion bridge and came to an agreement on steel structure disposing the second option of concrete construction.
They said though the final decision on the mode of construction would come at the August 27 meeting, the panel and the consulting firms have been working on the design based on the steel structure.
Another BBA official said to build the bridge on concrete-structure would need almost six years.
"Steel based structure is possible to be completed within three and a half years and with a lower cost," he said preferring anonymity.