Plan to build 3 new bridges

Poor condition of the Meghna-Gumti Bridge results in slowing down of vehicles on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway. This often grinds the flow to a halt, inset, and sometimes the tailbacks stretch for miles. Photo: Rashed Shumon

Poor condition of Kanchpur, Meghna and Meghna-Gumti bridges has compelled the government to speed up efforts to build three bridges alongside the old ones to ensure uninterrupted traffic movement on Dhaka-Chittagong highway.
It will require an estimated Tk 2,500 crore to construct the three bridges with four lanes. The one alongside the Kanchpur bridge will cost about Tk 900 crore, while the new Meghna bridge nearly Tk 830 crore and the new Meghna-Gumti bridge about Tk 700 crore.
The bridges will be constructed under three projects that will include renovation of the three old bridges, said communications ministry officials.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) has showed interest in financing the projects, they said.
China has also proposed financing a new two-lane Meghna bridge. But the government is not considering the proposal because a four-lane bridge is required to handle the huge traffic on Dhaka-Chittagong highway.
“A Jica team arrived in Dhaka on December 26 last year and has been conducting a study on Kanchpur and Meghna-Gumti bridges,” said Shahanuddin Khan, superintending engineer of Roads and Highways Department (Dhaka Circle).
He said the communications ministry has requested Jica to finance also the new Meghna bridge.
“They have responded positively,” said the RHD official.
It has become essential to build three new bridges, as trouble with any of the existing bridges will severely hinder transport of goods through the country's busiest highway, said communications ministry officials.
Communications Minister Obaidul Quader recently visited the three bridges and said that they are risky. He directed RHD officials to repair the bridges immediately to ensure uninterrupted vehicular movement on the highway.
But it will be a huge challenge to handle the high volume of traffic on the two-lane Meghna and the Meghna-Gumti bridges during repair.
One lane of the bridge will be off limits during repair that will result in huge traffic congestion on both sides of the busy highway. The average daily traffic on Dhaka-Chittagong highway is about 30,000, said RHD officials.
REPAIR OF MEGHNA BRIDGE
The government has taken a Tk 150 crore project to repair Meghna bridge, the condition of which is the worst among the three old bridges.
Experts found that scour holes -- hollows in the riverbed caused by undercurrents -- have rendered its several piers vulnerable. Besides, high volume of traffic and overloaded trucks continue to damage its deck. The bridge's expansion joints and hinge bearings have also been damaged.
The RHD repaired its expansion joints in 2008. But it did not last long for plying of heavy vehicles.
“We floated a tender last year to find a suitable international firm for the bridge's repair. We hope the selection process will complete in two months,” said Shahabuddin Khan, who is supervising repair of Meghna bridge.
He said the government is doing everything to get the bridge repaired as quickly as possible because any delay in its renovation might shorten the bridge's 100-year lifespan.
Concrete blocks will be placed around all its piers as part of the repair work, he added.