The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) has approved eight projects including construction of Kewatkhali Bridge in Mymensingh worth Tk 3,263.63 crore.
The 1,100 meter long bridge will be built on the Brahmaputra River in Mymensingh in the style of Sydney Harbor in Australia to establish improved road connectivity among the northern districts of greater Mymensingh and with the capital. There will be no pillars in the river. It is being taken as the first model bridge in the country.
The total cost of the project has been estimated at Tk 3,263.63 crore. Out of the total cost for the bridge project, Taka 1,353.83 crore will be spent by Bangladesh while the rest Taka 1,909.79 crore would be provided by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
The project titled “Kewatkhali Bridge Construction” has been implemented by the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) since July 2021 and expected to end in June 2025.
The approval came from the meeting of the ECNEC on Tuesday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. The Premier chaired the meeting virtually from her official Ganobhaban residence.
Ministers, state ministers and others concerned attended the meeting from the NEC Conference Room in the capital’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said that the ECNEC approved a total of eight projects worth Tk 5441.63 crore including construction of Kewatkhali Bridge.
“Of the total project cost, Tk 3332.72 crore will come from the Bangladesh government, Tk 47.93 crore form the concerned organization’s own fund while the rest Tk 2060.98 crore as loan from foreign sources,” he added.
Of the approved eight projects, seven are new while one is revised project.
Planning Minister said, “Mymensingh is a memorable place for me. I worked there for seven years. There is a bridge at Kewatkhali. Now another one will be made. For this loan can be obtained from AIIB. The project will include not only bridges, but also overpasses, underpasses and roads.”
Under the project, there will be a bridge, an overpass, a 6.2 kilometer four-lane road including separate SMVT lanes, in order to establish safe, improved and cost-effective communication system among the northern districts of Mymensingh Division (Sherpur, Netrakona) and with the capital.
Besides, the road communication to and from land-ports, EPZs and special economic zones situated in those areas with the capital would improve significantly.
The main project operations include construction of 2093 meter bridge foundation and substructure, 320 meter steel arch bridge superstructure, 1773 meter concrete bridge and construction of culverts, construction of a toll plaza, 33.02 hectares of land acquisition and rehabilitation, transfer of utilities, setting up drainage, road marking, sign-signal, barrier, rest areas and other necessary works.
The Planning Minister said there would be four-lane road on both sides of the bridge where latest technology would be used.
Answering to a question, Physical Infrastructure Division Member of the Planning Commission, Mamun Al Rashid said that this would be the first steel arch bridge of the country while it would not be replicated like other steel arch bridges of the world.
He informed that there would not be any pillar beneath the main structure of the bridge for which there would not be any problem in navigation.
Mamun added that the consultants of the project would provide their consultancy services during the implementation period of the bridge and also at maintenance level.
However, the projects approved by ECNEC are Urban Resilience Project Dhaka North City Corporation Part Project, Madarganj-Koyra-Mansurnagar (Kazipur) -Abdullah Mor (Sarishabari) -Dhanbari Road Development Project, Kewatkhali bridge construction project in Mymensingh and Extensive technology based integrated resource management (Phase III) project aimed at alleviating poverty.
In addition, The ECNEC has also approved projects for conservation of banks of Dhepa, Punarbhaba and Tangan rivers in Dinajpur district and capacity building of existing grid substations and transmission lines, the conversion of the plant quarantine laboratory at the Central Packing House to an international standard laboratory and Climate Smart Agriculture and Water Management Project.