ZCZC
BSS-05
PM-MEGHNA-GUMTI
PM opens 2nd Meghna, Gumti bridges
DHAKA, May 25, 2019 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the
much-awaited four-lane Second Meghna Bridge and the Second Gumti Bridge on
the Dhaka-Chattogram highway this morning.
She opened the two bridges through a videoconference from her official
residence Ganabhaban here.
The prime minister also opened two flyovers — Konabari and Chandra
flyovers, four underpasses — Kaliakair, Deohata, Mirzapur and Gharinda
underpasses, and two more bridges — Kadda-1 and Bimail bridges, on the
Joydebpur-Chandra-Tangail-Elenga Highway under the SASEC Road Link Project.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader gave welcome address on
the occasion while Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque and
Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque were present on the dais.
Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Hiroyasu Izumi also spoke on the
occasion.
PM’s Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman moderated the inaugural ceremony
while Secretary of Road Transport and Highways Division Md Nazrul Islam gave brief
pictorial and video presentation of the uplift schemes.
Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Second Shitalakkhya
Bridge on the river on March 16 this year.
Japanese contractors Obayshi Corporation, Shimizu Corporation, JFE
Engineer Corporation, and IHI Infra Systems Company Limited started the
constructions of the 2nd Kanchpur bridge along with the 2nd Meghna and 2nd
Meghna-Gumti bridges on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in January 2016.
The total estimated cost of the three bridges was Taka 8,487 crore, of
which Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) provided Taka 6,430
crore.
As per the contract, the Japanese firms began work in January 2016 and it
was scheduled to complete within June 2019. But progress of the work was
halted for around four months after the Holey Artisan attack in July 2016.
So, the government extended the deadline of completion for six months by
fixing December 2019. But, the construction of the bridges has been completed
around seven months before.
The work on the around 400-metre new Shitalakkhya bridge, with cost of
Taka 950 crore, was completed in December 2018 while the construction work of
the new 930-metre Meghna and 1,410-metre Gumti bridges was completed with a
cost of Taka 1750 crore and Taka 1950 crore respectively.
The overpass on the east end of Shitalakkhya Bridge will be opened to
public on May 31 to ease Eid journey.
BSS/AHJ/KUC/SH/GMR/1210 hrs