Soil test for Padma bridge soon: Quader

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Friday said that soil testing for constructing the Padma bridge will start very ‘soon’. He said the 1st shipment of equipment from China for the bridge construction had reached Bangladesh. ‘The 2nd shipment will arrive within Sept 15,’ he informed while visiting the project at Mawa under Lauhajang Upazila in Munshiganj district. China’s SINOHYDRO Corporation and Korea’s Hyundai have submitted bids for river management. Bangladesh signed an agreement with China Major Bridge Engineering Company Limited for constructing the main structure of the 6.15-kilometre-lomg bridge. Once commissioned, the Padma bridge is expected to boost the country’s economy by as much as 1.2 per cent.