Ratnai Bridge set to end years of connectivity woes

FULBARI, KURIGRAM, Aug 28: The much-anticipated Ratnai Bridge over the Ratnai River in Kulaghat area of Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila is set to be formally inaugurated at 3pm on Saturday, ending years of waiting for improved connectivity between Kurigram and Lalmonirhat.

The inauguration has already sparked excitement among people in the two districts.

The 130-metre-long bridge, 10.5 metres wide, was built at a cost of around Tk 20 crore under the supervision of the Roads and Highways Department.

Officials and locals hope the bridge will ease long-standing communication problems faced by hundreds of thousands of people in Fulbari, Nageshwari, Bhurungamari and Lalmonirhat Sadar areas. It is also expected to boost trade and the transportation of goods between the districts while reducing travel time and costs.

The bridge was opened to traffic four days before the last Eid-ul-Azha, and various types of vehicles are already using it. However, its formal inauguration will take place tomorrow.

Locals say the bridge will enable them to fully benefit from the Fulbari-Dharla Bridge and make travel to Dhaka and other parts of the country easier and faster.

Construction of the Ratnai Bridge began on December 15, 2022. The main bridge has been completed, while work on the approach roads, painting and beautification is nearing completion.

The Fulbari-Dharla Bridge was inaugurated in 2018. However, heavy vehicles could not use the Lalmonirhat side because of the dilapidated Bailey Bridge over the Ratnai River.

As a result, people in the two districts could not enjoy the full benefits of the Fulbari-Dharla Bridge.

University students Smriti Roy and Shrabanti Mondal of Fulbari said they often had to travel to Rangpur to catch buses to Rajshahi because of the poor connectivity.

“With the Ratnai Bridge in operation, we will be able to travel directly from Fulbari towards Rajshahi. This will reduce both travel time and hassle,” they said.

“The bridge will save both time and transportation costs,” they said.

SM Riaz Morshed, in-charge of the contractor company, said construction had been delayed due to land acquisition and other complications.

He said the bridge was opened to the public before Eid and that work on both approach roads had been completed.

Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu will formally inaugurate the bridge at 3pm tomorrow, he said.

Debashish Saha, Executive Engineer of the Roads and Highways Department in Lalmonirhat, said the main construction work had been completed and work on the approach roads and painting was nearing completion.