Japan wants to construct Meghna, Gumti bridges
Monday, 23 May 2011
Munima Sultana
Japan and China have come up to help the Bangladesh government to construct new bridges over the Meghna and Gumti rivers on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, said officials. The officials said a total of six big bridges and overpasses over rail lines will have to be constructed on the country's main economic corridor apart from widening 195 culverts and 22 small bridges to ensure smooth traffic movement on both sides of the rivers and rail crossings. They said a mission of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), now visiting the country, has officially proposed to the communications ministry to help it construct 2nd Meghna bridge and 2nd Meghna-Gumti bridge with two-lane road to have conformity with the existing two-lane bridges. They said the JICA mission also offered to help repair the existing two-lane bridges on the same rivers and conduct the feasibility study for the new bridges under a package. "The JICA mission is actually interested in constructing all bridges on Dhaka-Chittagong corridor under a package. They say that as they have constructed the first two bridges and are familiar with the two rivers from earlier, they will be able to do it fast," said an official. However the ministry is yet to take any decision in response to Japan's attractive proposal, as it has already started working in convincing the Chinese government to fund the bridges on the highway. Officials said when a delegation of EXIM Bank of China visited the country early this year, the government requested them for funding both the bridges. But officials at the Economic Relations Division (ERD) said, the Chinese funding agency has started enquiring about only Meghna-2 bridge, but they haven't placed any query about the other bridges. "No confirmed assurance from China has come till now. But they have sought some information about the 2nd Meghna bridge," said an ERD official. Though the Tk 23.82 billion Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane highway scheme is one of the priority projects of the present government, the ministry has only completed the Development Project Proposal (DPP) of 2nd Meghna bridge. It is yet to get approval from the Planning Commission. "The DPP of the 2nd Meghna-Gumti bridge is not yet ready," said another official. Experts said construction of all new bridges and overpasses including Meghna and Meghna-Gumti bridges and implementation of Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane project are equally important for smooth traffic movement on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway.
Japan and China have come up to help the Bangladesh government to construct new bridges over the Meghna and Gumti rivers on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, said officials. The officials said a total of six big bridges and overpasses over rail lines will have to be constructed on the country's main economic corridor apart from widening 195 culverts and 22 small bridges to ensure smooth traffic movement on both sides of the rivers and rail crossings. They said a mission of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), now visiting the country, has officially proposed to the communications ministry to help it construct 2nd Meghna bridge and 2nd Meghna-Gumti bridge with two-lane road to have conformity with the existing two-lane bridges. They said the JICA mission also offered to help repair the existing two-lane bridges on the same rivers and conduct the feasibility study for the new bridges under a package. "The JICA mission is actually interested in constructing all bridges on Dhaka-Chittagong corridor under a package. They say that as they have constructed the first two bridges and are familiar with the two rivers from earlier, they will be able to do it fast," said an official. However the ministry is yet to take any decision in response to Japan's attractive proposal, as it has already started working in convincing the Chinese government to fund the bridges on the highway. Officials said when a delegation of EXIM Bank of China visited the country early this year, the government requested them for funding both the bridges. But officials at the Economic Relations Division (ERD) said, the Chinese funding agency has started enquiring about only Meghna-2 bridge, but they haven't placed any query about the other bridges. "No confirmed assurance from China has come till now. But they have sought some information about the 2nd Meghna bridge," said an ERD official. Though the Tk 23.82 billion Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane highway scheme is one of the priority projects of the present government, the ministry has only completed the Development Project Proposal (DPP) of 2nd Meghna bridge. It is yet to get approval from the Planning Commission. "The DPP of the 2nd Meghna-Gumti bridge is not yet ready," said another official. Experts said construction of all new bridges and overpasses including Meghna and Meghna-Gumti bridges and implementation of Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane project are equally important for smooth traffic movement on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway.