Meghna Bridge
Repair job goes to army
Failing to select a company over the last five months, the communications ministry has assigned the task of repairing the Meghna and Gumti bridges to Bangladesh Army.
The bridges have been posing risk to commuters for over a year due to river-bed scouring and damage to the expansion joints.
“The army will begin the repair work soon as the prime minister approves a proposal in this regard,” Communications Minister Obaidul Quader told journalists at his Secretariat office yesterday.
The minister said the army would repair the damaged expansion joints first and then replace the damaged bearings of the bridges which would cost around Tk 20 to 25 crore.
“The repair will take nine days and during the period both the bridges will be off-limits for six hours a day,” said Quader, adding that the traffic would be diverted to Comilla-Brahmanbaria highway.
“There will also be ferry service to transport vehicles,” he added.
He said the filling of river-bed scouring would begin after the monsoon.
The Meghna Bridge is under threat as riverbed scouring has left several piers vulnerable while numerous traffic and overloaded trucks are damaging the deck. There has been extensive damage to the expansion joints and hinge bearings of the Meghna and Gumti bridges.
Earlier on May 2, the communications ministry offered army to do the repair work as its Roads and Highways Department (RHD) failed to select a firm for the job.
The government took a project last year to repair both the bridges on an emergency basis. RHD floated an international tender in January, but they found only one pre-qualified firm for the job. RHD was preparing to float a fresh tender in this regard but the government has decided to give the project to army.
The government will face a stiff challenge to manage around 30,000 vehicles as none will be allowed on the bridges six hours a day for nine days.
-With The Daily Star input
