TDS Desk:

Padma Bridge river training cost has been increased by 249 crore 42 lakh 52 thousand 349 taka. In this, the cost of Padma Bridge river training has increased to 9,834 crore 77 lakh 45 thousand 349 taka.

The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase approved the proposal to increase the expenditure again with Finance Minister Abul Hasaan Mahmood Ali in the chair on Saturday. At the end of the meeting, the Secretary of Coordination and Reform of the Cabinet Department Mahmudul Hossain Khan informed this information.

The final tender for river training works adjacent to Padma Bridge was accepted on 19 June 2014. On the recommendation of the Tender Evaluation Committee, the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase meeting on September 10 of that year approved the proposal regarding the appointment of the Chinese state-owned Sinohydro Corporation for the river training work of the Padma Multi-purpose Bridge construction project.

After the approval of the proposal, the contract was signed with Sinohydro Corporation on November 10, 2014, to complete the construction work within 48 months. The contract price of which is 8,707 crore 81 lakh 41 thousand 446 taka. Later the time was extended several times. Korea Expressway Corporation & Associates has been engaged as construction supervision consultant to supervise this work.

After the traffic started in September last year, the river training cost of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge was increased by Tk 877 crore 53 lakh 51 thousand 553. In this, including VAT and taxes, the cost of Padma Bridge river training has increased to 9,585 crore 34 lakh 93 thousand taka. Now, in the second phase, Padma Bridge river training cost has been increased by 249 crores 42 lakhs 52 thousand 349 taka to 9,834 crores 77 lakh 45 thousand 349 taka.

Secretary Md. Mahmudul Hossain Khan said that the Padma multi-purpose bridge project is being implemented by the Bangladesh Bridge Authority. The project expires on 30 June 2024. That means the project will expire tomorrow. Sinohydro Corporation of China is doing the work of river training work. Their deadline was 30 June 2023. The defect liability period is one year. That means their work will be finished tomorrow.

He said, at this time the contractor had to do some additional work. Additional work has to be done for two reasons. One is the delay in getting space from BIWTA for operationalizing about one-kilometer-long water communication system at Kanthalabari ferry ghat, launch ghat and surrounding river control works boundary at Jazira end of the project. It has been delayed for more than three years.

The second reason is that while going to work after the design was finalised, some parts of the contractor’s works were washed away in the river bed by the heavy current of the river in 2012 along the boundary of the river control work under the weight of the main bridge at the Mawa end. As a result, design changes are required. In this context, the design is delayed. Due to this, the contractor has submitted a proposal to increase the cost, said Secretary Mahmudul Hossain Khan.

On September 30, 2017, the first span of the bridge was installed. The last span was laid on December 10, 2020. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Padma Bridge on June 25, 2022. The next day, on June 26, the Padma Bridge opened to traffic.

The Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project has been implemented by the Bangladesh Bridge Authority. The main bridge work was done by China Major Bridge Engineering Company Limited. The main bridge is 6.15 km long and the width is 18.10m. Its approach road is 12.117 km while the viaduct is 3.148 km (road) and 532 m (rail).