Soil test of Padma Bridge will start soon : Quader

MUNSHIGANJ, Sept 5 (BSS/UNB): Minister for Road Transport and Bridge Obaidul Quader said today soil test of the long expected Padma Bridge will start soon.
"The first shipment of necessary equipment from China for constructing the bridge has already reached the Chittagong port. The second shipment of equipment will reach by September 15," he said.
The minister said the country's technical evaluation committee has recommended for the Chinese company Chino Hydro, which proposed Tk 87.07 billion as the lowest bidder, while the South Korean company Hyundai proposed Taka 121.22 billion as the second lowest bidder for the mega bridge project.
He told newsmen while visiting Padma bridge Project work at Mawa this afternoon.
The minister said the two main works of the bridge are-construction of the main bridge and the river training.
On August 4 last, technical evaluation committee recommended the same organisations ---Chino Hydro and Hyundai -for river training work.
The two proposals will be placed before the cabinet committee within next two days and after scrutiny both will be sent before the Prime Minister for final approval.
Quader said the implementation of the Padma Bridge has in fact started as the technical evaluation committee and the consultation firm on August 4 selected the two companies for the river training and sought their proposals.
Additional Chief Engineer of Dhaka division of Roads Transport and Bridge Division M Aftab Uddin Khan, Executive Engineer of River Training Sharful Islam and the army officials stationed for supervising the work were present.