Tk 16 crore bridge remains unused for lack of connecting road

A bridge built at a cost of more than Tk 16 crore over the Fatekhi River in Magura’s Shalikha upazila has remained unused for nearly two years as a connecting road on one side is yet to be constructed.

The bridge, located near Arpara Bazar, was completed along with the connecting road on the Magura Sadar side in 2024. However, around 235 metres of road on the Shalikha side remains unfinished due to complications over land acquisition.

As a result, the new bridge has not been opened to traffic, forcing people and vehicles to continue using an old and reportedly risky bridge nearby.

Local residents said hundreds of buses and other heavy and medium-sized vehicles, including those travelling between Magura and Jashore and on the Dhaka-Khulna route, use the old bridge every day.

They fear that continued use of the ageing bridge is increasing the risk of accidents. A red ribbon has recently been placed at the unfinished end of the new bridge to prevent people from accidentally driving onto it.

Alok Roy, a grocery shopkeeper in Arpara Bazar, said around two decimals of his land falls within the proposed connecting road. He said he had no objection to the acquisition if the government paid a fair price.

“Once the bridge opens, people in the area will benefit,” he said.

The Magura Roads and Highways Department said the main bridge and the connecting road on the Magura side were completed by contractor Mojahar Enterprise. However, work on the Shalikha side could not begin as the required land has yet to be acquired and handed over.

Magura Roads and Highways Department Executive Engineer Kaisar Hamid said the land acquisition process for the Arpara section was underway.

“Once the process is completed, construction of the connecting road will be finished and the bridge can be opened to traffic,” he said.

Locals have urged the authorities to resolve the land acquisition issue quickly and complete the road so the bridge can be put into use and pressure on the old bridge can be reduced.

SKS