FE Report

Movement of vehicular traffic on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway is expected to resume as per schedule on Tuesday as the first phase of permanent rehabilitation work on the damaged portion of Meghna and Meghna-Gumti bridges is going on smoothly, officials said Saturday.

The rehabilitation work of the two important bridges in the country's busiest corridor began on Friday morning suspending the movement of all kinds of vehicles over the bridges until 6.0am Tuesday.

The officials said all the works on expansion joints, hinge bearing and scouring projection have been going on smoothly under the supervision of the concerned officials and experts.

They said Special Work Organisation (SWO) of Bangladesh Army, experts from Malaysia and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology have been supervising the rehabilitation work.

"If the rehabilitation work of the two bridges is completed smoothly, those will be out of danger for next 10 years," said project director Mohammad Sazzad Hossain.

He said all concerned have been carrying out necessary rehabilitation and repair work to make the bridges fit for movement of vehicular traffic.

Meanwhile, Communications Minister Obaidul Quader visited the project site Saturday afternoon and inspected the work on expansion joints, hinge bearing and scouring projection. Road Division Secretary MAN Siddique and Dhaka Circle Superintending Engineer Mohammad Shahabuddin accompanied the minister.

Roads and Highways Department (RHD) had taken the rehabilitation and repair plan of the Meghna and Meghna-Gumti bridges in 2011.The plan has been revised recently to make the bridges fit for vehicular movement. Another project is being planned to construct the second Meghna and Meghna-Gumti bridges and the existing two bridges will also be accommodated with the new bridges through retrofitting.