Bridge over Payra river nears completion

The construction of a bridge on Payra river in the Lebukhali area of ​​the Patuakhali-Dhaka highway is set to be complete by July this year.

Payra port will directly benefit with the launch of the bridge, as it will boost road connectivity with the rest of the country.

About 90 per cent of the main bridge is complete while the construction of ancillary structures, including the approach road and toll plaza, is ongoing, according to Engineer Abdul Halim, director of the Payra Bridge project.

The four-lane 1.47-kilometre long and 19.76-metre wide bridge will be connected on both sides by cable.

"Up to seven kilometres of the connecting roads on both sides will also be developed," he said, adding that the bridge is being constructed using extradited cable-stayed technology.

The project is estimated to cost around Tk 1,446 crore once complete.

With the end of construction in sight, the government recently fixed the tolls for using the bridge.

Heavy trucks will pay Tk 940 while medium-weight trucks, such as covered vans, will be charged Tk 750.

The toll is Tk 375 for smaller medium-weight trucks, Tk 340 for busses, Tk 280 for mini-trucks, Tk 225 for vehicles used in agriculture, Tk 190 for minibuses and Tk 15 for microbusses.

When it comes to private vehicles, the charge will be Tk 150 for heavy four-wheelers, Tk 95 for sedans, Tk 40 for three-wheel motorised vehicles, Tk 20 for motorcycles, and Tk 10 for all rickshaws, pedal-vans and bicycles.

The toll gazette was signed by Fahmida Haque Khan, deputy secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Department (toll branch), on March 18.

In 2013, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone of Payra Bridge.

The project, being implemented by Chinese contractor Longjian Road and Bridge Construction, was initially set to be complete by April 2019, around 33 months after the beginning of development on July 24, 2016.

However, construction faced numerous delays and the ongoing pandemic slowed down the process further.

The project is jointly funded by the Bangladesh government and Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED).

The bridge will ensure faster transportation of various goods from the port to other parts of the country.

Motaleb Sharif, general secretary of the Kuakata Hotel-Motel Owners Association, said the increased connectivity will accelerate the development of the local tourism industry as the number of domestic and foreign travellers in Kuakata will increase.

When contacted, Azizur Rahman, assistant director of the Payra Port authority (PPA), told The Daily Star that the port's activities began on a limited scale on August 13, 2016.

Now, ship-to-ship loading and unloading activities are underway in the deep sea area, he said.

As of March 24 this year, a total of 113 ships carrying various raw materials such as clinker and stone have anchored at the port, through which the government collected Tk 164 crore in revenue.

The construction of the Padma bridge and Payra bridge is required for direct connectivity between Dhaka and Payra Port.

Construction of Padma bridge is at its final stage while Payra bridge will be open soon.

Mir Mohammad Kamrul Hasan, executive engineer of the Patuakhali Roads and Highways Department, said once the Payra bridge is opened, road traffic in the area will increase and subsequently, the government's revenue as well.

With the launch of Padma Bridge, people will have the opportunity to travel to the country's south-western regions by road instead of ferries.

Similarly, the opening of the Payra bridge will facilitate the growth of economic and trade activities in the South.

Mohiuddin Ahmed, president of the Patuakhali Chamber of Commerce and Industry, echoed the views of Hasan.