Kalurghat Bridge opens to traffic next month

CHATTOGRAM June 25: Kalurghat Bridge in the port city will be opened to traffic next month as the renovation work on the old bridge has been almost completed.
Official sources said the renovation work on Kalurghat Bridge that started on August 1 last year will be completed next month.
Jisan Dutta, engineer of the Bangladesh Railway (BR), Eastern Zone, said, "Kalurghat Bridge would be officially opened to vehicles and pedestrians soon after technical tests. We hope that the bridge will be opened to traffic in July next."
"The carpeting work on the bridge is almost completed. Work on the walkway added to the bridge for the first time has been completed. So, the bridge is now ready for traffic."
"After completion of the renovation of the rail lines on Kalurghat  Bridge, we completed work of road for vehicles. We have made the railway track as well as road suitable for traffic," he added.
Sources said the renovation work of Kalurghat Bridge started on August 1 last year for the railway. From then, traffic was stopped on the bridge.
It was scheduled to complete the work within three months and resume traffic from October 31 last year.
However, train services started on the way to Cox's Bazar on Kalurghat Bridge on November 5 last.
BR engineers said the old Kalurghat Bridge was being renovated at a cost of around Tk 43 crore on the recommendations of BUET engineers.
The bridge is necessary to repair for train movement on Cox's Bazar route. The BR has increased load capacity of the old bridge during the renovation.
The 239-metre Kalurghat dual-purpose bridge that was built in 1930 over the Karnaphuli River became unfit for both train and road traffic.
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