The Bangladesh Bridge Authority has rolled out the toll rate for the Kalna Bridge, the country’s first six-lane bridge over the Madhumati river.
A private car travelling on the bridge will have to pay Tk55 as fee. A biker, on the other hand, will have to pay Tk10 for a one-way journey, while Tk5 has been fixed as toll for rickshaws and cycles.
Similarly, Tk 565 has been fixed as toll fee for big trailers, Tk450 for three-axle trucks, Tk225 for two-axle trucks, Tk170 for small trucks, 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 toll for three-wheelers of all make.
“Although the construction of the bridge was completed on August 30, the prime minister is yet to set a date for its inauguration. Preparations for the inauguration ceremony will be taken once the PM's office apprises us of the date,” said Ashrafuzzaman, project manager of the Kalna Bridge project.
On September 7, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said that Kalna Bridge would be inaugurated sometime in October after getting a nod from the PM.
The bridge has been built under the 'Cross Border Road Network Improvement' project of the Roads and Highways Department (RHD). Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has funded the project.
“Kalna is the country’s first six-lane bridge. It’s been designed after the Nelson Arch. The length and width of the bridge are 690 metres and 27.1 meters, respectively. A total of Tk960 crore has been spent for the construction of the bridge,” added Ashrafuzzaman.
The bridge has been built on the Asian Highway, which means that it will play a vital role in connecting Sylhet’s Tamabil land port with Benapole land port via Dhaka, Faridpur, Narail and Jashore.
