The government has floated an international tender to construct three new bridges beside existing Meghna, Meghna-Gumti and Kanchpur bridges to connect those with the Dhaka-Chittagong highway which is now widening into four-lane.
The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) took the initiative to construct 2nd Meghna, 2nd Meghna-Gumti and 2nd Kanchpur bridges on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway in 2012 as experts found the three existing bridges unfit for traffic.
In a study, the experts also recommended repairing to the existing bridges and constructing new ones beside them in a bid to ease the traffic congestion on the country's economic lifeline.
Officials said the company to be awarded for the Tk 85 billion three bridges construction work will also carry out the repair work of the existing bridges in retrofitting way.
The RHD posted the tender on its website and the site of the central procurement technical unit Tuesday night.
The officials said both technical and financial proposals would be invited from interested contractors by April 28 with an aim to award work by November this year.
A RHD official said a detailed design and necessary groundwork to start the construction of the three bridges had already been completed by five consulting firms.
Since the study found Meghna and Meghna-Gumti bridges vulnerable for traffic in 2011, the government carried out firsthand rehabilitation work with the help of the Bangladesh Army in 2012.
As the two bridges were constructed with the Japanese government fund in 90s, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) then proposed providing fund for 2nd Meghna and 2nd Meghna-Gumti bridges along with new Kanchpur bridge and later signed an agreement on March 10, 2013.
The study team worked for the site selection and detailed design and proposed constructing Meghna and Meghna-Gumti bridges upstream of the river and Kanchpur downstream to avoid the hassle of land acquisition.
The team finally recommended constructing 700 metres long and 400 metres wide Kanchpur bridge. Meghna bridge will be 830 metres long while Meghna-Gumti 1.4 km.
Meanwhile, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader at a press conference Wednesday said the government had taken the initiative to construct the new three bridges beside the existing bridges as the Dhaka-Chittagong highway had gradually been turning an important corridor.
He told reporters that work of some 108 kilometres of the Dhaka-Chittagong highway had already been completed.
The minister said apart from three new bridges, the government would construct a flyover and intersection on the other side of Kanchpur bridge.
smunima@yahoo.com
Int\\\'l tender floated to construct three bridges
FE Report | Published: January 23, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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