Padma bridge could be ready before target date: Quader
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday said all 41 spans of the much-awaited Padma bridge will be installed by July 2020 if no natural disaster occurs.
The 20th span of the bridge will be installed today. Later, three spans will be installed every month, he said.
Quader, also general secretary of Awami League, was talking to reporters after a meeting with the Japanese ambassador at Setu Bhaban in Dhaka.
“Our target was that the Padma bridge would be open for vehicles by June 2021. It might be possible to do so before the target date, if we do not face any natural disaster,” he said.
The overall progress of Padma bridge is 75 percent while main bridge structure has reached 85 percent and river training is 66 percent, Quader said.
The minister said he had discussions with Japanese Ambassador Ito Naoki about the development projects in which Japan is involved and requested him to expedite the pace -- especially starting physical work of the four-lane Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar Highway.
He said physical work of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) 1 and 5 will start soon. The tunnel under Karnaphuli river has witnessed 50 percent progress so far, the minister added.
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