KHULNA, Sept 2: Two footover bridges are going to be built in front of two higher educational institutes in the district at about Tk 7.5 crore to reduce traffic congestion and make safe and smooth movement of students of Khulna University (KU) and government Brozolal College.
The construction of the bridge in front of the main gate of KU has already started at Tk 3 crore 92 lakh and 90 thousand on the Khulna-Satkhira highway.
The construction of the other footover bridge is going in front of the Brozolal College on the Khulna-Jashore highway at Tk 3 crore 54 lakh and 68 thousand.
This information was confirmed by the Road and Highways (RHD)-Khulna officials.
Dhaka's Concrete and Steel Technology Limited and Abid Mansoor Construction have got the work orders of the two projects respectively.
The footover bridges are scheduled to be completed by December 30, 2023.
HM Shoaib Hossain, RHD sub-assistant engineer, said, steel plates are being made from a workshop in Chattogram. These will be installed on 11 pillars of the bridge in front of the KU gate.
Out of the 11 pillars, the basement construction works of five pillars have already been completed.
Md Anisuzzaman Masud, RHD executive engineer, said, according to the Draft Project Proposal (DPP) the proposed cost of the bridges was Tk 5 crore. But the ministry concerned approved Tk 3 crore 92 lakh 90 thousand.
"The bridge will be very nice to look after completion. Teachers, students, officers, employees of the university and common people can move freely and safely through the footover bridge as well," he added.
In the last year, KU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Mahmud Hossain and MP of Khulna-2 Sheikh Salah Uddin Jewel submitted the DO letter to the Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader stating the importance of a footover bridge in front of the KU.
Khulna City Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque submitted another DO letter of a footover bridge in front of the Government Brozolal College.
When contacted, Sheikh Ashrafuzzaman, president of Greater Khulna Development Action Coordination Committee, said, people of Khulna are expecting that the construction works of the two footover bridges would be completed by maintaining proper standards within the stipulated time.
"Traffic congestion and road accident will be reduced after completion of two footover bridges," he added.
