Plan to resume work on faulty piers of elevated rail track

The Padma Bridge Rail Link project authority plans to resume the construction work on the faulty piers of elevated rail track after getting the final design on the concept of increasing piles in a week.
The Padma Multipurpose Bridge (PMB) project authority last week accepted the concept of PBRL project as it would ensure required vertical and horizontal gaps between the piers and approach roads of the country's longest bridge.

"We are working on the concept of increasing the piles of all piers close to the approach roads of the bridge to ensure required gaps as per the demand of the PMB project," said the project director.
He also said the design consultants have already started working on the final design on the concept of increasing one pile of the piers and will submit it in a week.
The PMB project authority halted the construction work of the piers on both sides of the 6.15-kilometre rail-cum-road bridge in June for having lower than the standard vertical gap of 5.7 metres and horizontal gap of 15.5 metres.
It showed grounds that this fault would block heavy vehicles crossing the approach roads of the country's longest bridge.
Against the 15.5-metre horizontal gap, the PBRL project has kept 9.0-metre gap on Janjira side and 10-metre on Mawa side. The vertical clearance has been 5.2 metres against the standard 5.7 metres.
Though the PBRL project had made several proposals to increase both gaps from their design, the PMB was adamant to their demand to keep the standard of the geometric design standard manual 2005 of Roads and Highways Department.
They also got the Prime Minister's support in favour of their demand.
Through support of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, the Bangladesh Railway's project office proposed increasing the horizontal gap to 11.5 metres at Mawa side and 12.5 metres at Janjira side.
Later, it changed the design, meeting the demand for vertical gap but proposed keeping the horizontal gap of 11.5 metres and 12.5 metres to avoid the time loss and increase project cost to demolish the built piers.
Both proposals were rejected by the PMB project authority.
After six months of the suspension, sources said, the PMB project authority finally accepted the concept of the PBRL project as it would ensure vertical gap of 5.7 metres and horizontal gap of 15.5 metres.
The PD of the PBRL project said this may help avoid demolishing pier structures.
However, the possibility of increasing the project cost after an increase in the number of piles will be confirmed after finalization of the working design, the PD told the FE over phone.
The Bangladesh Bridge Authority has been implementing the two-tier 6.15-kilometre bridge keeping the road on the top layer and the rail on the lower.
The Bangladesh Railway (BR) is responsible for building 215.22-km rail track on both sides of the bridge to establish connectivity through Padma Bridge.
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