Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to inaugurate Bangladesh’s first six-lane Kalna Bridge or “Madhumati Bridge” virtually on Monday.
The bridge will be opened to traffic the same day, said Shyamal Bhattacharya, project director of the Cross Border Road Network Improvement Project of the Roads and Highways Department.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate both the ‘Madhumati Bridge’ and Shitalakhya Bridge of Narayanganj on Monday. However, the time of the inauguration is yet to be fixed,” the official noted.
Ashrafuzzaman, project manager of Kalna Bridge and executive engineer of the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) of Narail said the installation of lamp posts on the bridge will be completed within two-three days.
“Toll plazas will also be set up before inauguration. The bridge is almost fully ready for traffic,” he added.
The country’s first six-lane bridge is a Nelson Low Arch type (curved like a bow) bridge developed with a total construction cost of about Tk960 crore, according to officials.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) funded the project under the Cross Border Road Network Improvement Project of the Department of Roads and Highways.
The length of the bridge is 690 metres and the width is 27.10 metres. The connecting road on both sides is 4.273km with a width of 30.50 meters.
The dream bridge connects Narail, Khulna, Magura, Satkhira, Chuadanga, Jessore, and Jhenidah districts.
After the inauguration, people of at least 10 districts of Bangladesh’s southwest regions will be able to travel for less time to different areas. It will also reduce travel time from Benapole port to Dhaka, as the distance will only be 130km.
Dhaka TribuneMeanwhile, the distance from Kalnaghat to Dhaka is only 108km.
Besides, of the six lanes of the bridge, four will be dedicated to high-speed vehicles and two as service roads.
On September 7, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said that Kalna Bridge would be inaugurated after getting a nod from the Prime Minister.
Previously, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had promised to build this bridge during an election campaign in 2008. The premier laid the foundation stone of the bridge later on January 24, 2015.
Toll minimum Tk5, maximum Tk565
The Bangladesh Bridge Authority recently rolled out the toll rate for the Kalna Bridge.
A private car using the bridge will have to pay Tk55 as toll. Tk10 as a one-way toll is there for a motorcycle and Tk5 for rickshaws and cycles.
Similarly, Tk565 has been fixed for big trailers, Tk450 for three-axle trucks, Tk225 for two-axle trucks, Tk170 for small trucks, and Tk135 for power tillers and tractors.
Buses will have to shell out Tk205 for a one-way journey. A microbus, a pickup van, and an SUV will be charged Tk90 as toll. Similarly, Tk25 has been fixed as the toll for three-wheelers.