All the 41 spans of the Padma Multi Purpose Bridge will be installed by the next two months as three more spans have been prepared to be set up this October, officials said.
“We have a plan to install all of the 41 spans on the bridge, only nine spans were left to be set up,” said Project Director of Padma Bridge Md Shafiqul Islam on Sunday.
He said three more spans will be installed on the Padma Bridge over the mighty river by this month. As per the schedule, the 33rd span of the bridge will be placed on the third and fourth piers on October 20, the 34th span will be lifted on October 25, and the 35th span on October 30.
The project director said now over 4.8km of the bridge became visible with installing the 32nd span–linking the fourth and fifth piers at the Mawa end on October 11.
“A total of 41 spans will become visible on the bridge together in December, as the pace of work is going fast with maintaining proper health guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic,” he said.
According to project details, the 34th span of the bridge will be placed on 4th November, the 38th span on 11th November, 38th on November 16, 39th on November 23, and the 40th on December 2.
Besides, the last and 41st span of the Padma Bridge will set up on the 12th and 13th piers of the bridge on December 10, it said.
According to the Padma Bridge authorities, the 6.15km-long bridge with a total of 41 spans will become visible in December and the entire Padma Bridge will be seen by the beginning of 2021.
The Padma Bridge is the country’s biggest development project, which was initiated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The construction work began in December, 2014 with its own fund.
The construction of the main bridge is being made by China Major Bridge Engineering Company (MBEC), a Chinese contractor company, and the river management is being done by Sino Hydro Corporation of China.
The 6.15km long bridge will have two segments over which road and railways will be set up.