FULBARI, KURIGRAM, May 18: A long-awaited bridge over the Ratnai River in Kula Ghat area of Lalmonirhat Sadar is set to open to traffic before the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha, officials said, promising relief to hundreds of thousands of people across two northern districts.
The construction of the Ratnai River bridge is now in its final stage, with only approach roads, painting and finishing works remaining.
Once opened, the bridge is expected to end long-standing communication difficulties for residents of Lalmonirhat and neighbouring Kurigram District, particularly people from four upazilas who have faced daily travel hardships for years.
Officials say the new bridge will also allow full benefits of the Dharla Bridge project, improving regional connectivity, trade and transport of goods.
The bridge is being constructed under the Roads and Highways Department at a cost of around Tk 20 crore. It measures 130 metres in length and 10.5 metres in width. A private contractor firm, Project Engineer and Concrete and Steel Technology, is executing the project.
Construction began on December 15, 2022. Although land acquisition and other complications delayed progress, officials say the main structure has now been completed.
Project in-charge SM Riaz Morshed said work is progressing quickly and the bridge will be opened for public use before Eid.
"We will open it for traffic before Eid-ul-Azha. The formal inauguration will be held later," he said.
Until now, a dilapidated Bailey bridge over the Ratnai River limited heavy vehicle movement, preventing full use of improved road connectivity even after the Dharla Bridge was inaugurated in 2018.
Locals say the new bridge will significantly reduce travel distance-by around 40 to 45 kilometres in some routes-and cut transport costs.
Business owners and transport operators in Fulbari, Nageshwari, Bhurungamari and Lalmonirhat have welcomed the development, saying it will ease movement of goods and boost trade.
"We will no longer have to take a 60-kilometre detour via Nageshwari," said a local trader, adding that transport time and costs would both decrease.
Teachers, traders and residents alike say the bridge will allow direct movement of heavy trucks, including stone-laden vehicles, towards Dhaka and other major cities.
Senior journalist Aminul Islam said the bridge would bring visible changes to local business and connectivity with major urban centres.
Lalmonirhat Roads and Highways Executive Engineer Debashish Saha said the project is in its final phase.
"If everything goes as planned, the bridge will be opened before Eid. The formal inauguration will follow at a suitable time," he said.
As the opening nears, residents across both districts are already celebrating what they see as the end of an eight-year struggle for better connectivity.
