The 4.8km long double line dual gauge railway bridge over the Jamuna River is expected to open in late January, 2025.
Project Director of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge Al Fattah Md Masudur Rahman said on Monday that the construction of main bridge is completed and the overall progress of the work is over 98 per cent.
The test run on the double line dual gauge railway bridge is also completed and taken preparations to begin commercial operation in late January or early February, 2025.
He said the total length of the bridge is 4.8 kilometres, while distance from east railway station to west railway station is 13 kilometres.
According to the project details, the total length of the bridge is 4.8 kilometres, while distance from east railway station to west railway station is 13 kilometres. The largest dedicated rail bridge of the country is being constructed at a cost of Tk 16,780.95 crore.
Of the cost, Tk 13,000 crore was allocated for construction of the main bridge and other related work. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has given around Tk 12,000 crore, while the government of Bangladesh has provided rest of the money.
Two Japanese joint-venture firms have been carrying out the main work of the project taken in 2016, it said.
The dual-gauge double-track bridge, having gas pipeline facility, is being built some 300 metres upstream of the Bangabandhu Bridge.
In December 2016, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council passed the bridge project at a cost of Tk 9,734 crore and the project was scheduled to be completed within December 2023.
But the physical work of the project started in August 2020 and the foundation work of the bridge began in March 2021.
NY
