Due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, essential equipment mandatory for constructing the Padma Bridge has fallen into uncertainty, hence, opening of the bridge scheduled for June has now been delayed till December.
Until now, road transport and bridge minister Obaidul Quader and other officials were expressing their optimism that the bridge will be opened for vehicular movement in the middle of the year.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday told parliament that work was underway to launch the bridge by the end of the year.
The prime minister said, ‘Construction of the 27 km road from Zajira Naodoba end of Padma Bridge to district town has started. Work is in full swing to make the Padma Bridge open for traffic by the end of 2022.”
Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam told journalists, “One of the logics for the Prime Minister making the statement is that since recently, there has been a problem with some supplies coming in because of the Ukraine conflict. The shipment was due in March. But now there is some uncertainty.”
“We have time till December 2022. These goods will come from different countries of Europe. There are some goods that one or two countries make in the world. Even now, it was getting late for Covid-19, now it's getting late because of the war,” added the cabinet secretary.
According to the project progress report, the main construction of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge project is 97 percent, river training work is 90.50 percent and the overall progress of the project is 92 percent. The progress of carpeting work of the main bridge is 65.68 percent. Besides, the progress of installing a gas pipeline is 99 percent and the progress of constructing 400 KVA power lines is 79 percent.