Dhaka, Jan 30: Bangladesh has engaged a New Zealand-based consultant to design an over-5-km-long bridge on the Padma river to improve connectivity with its south-western region to eventually link up with the Trans-Asia highway, a media report said Friday.
The 5.58 km long and 25 m wide bridge on the Padma will connect the southwestern area with Dhaka at Mawa in Munshiganj and Janjira in Madaripur.
The government Thursday signed a design contract with Maunsell AECOM Ltd, The Daily Star said.
The first major contract signed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina`s government after taking office follows plans to revive another ambitious project to upgrade the Dhaka-Chittagong highway.
The first multipurpose bridge on the Jamuna was completed in 1997 during Hasina`s earlier tenure as Prime Minister. The construction of the bridge with four lanes and a railroad in the middle is expected to start in 2011 and complete within 2014.
As per experts` estimate Tk 10 billion (about $1.6 billion) will be spent to build the bridge.
Communications ministry officials said the government was negotiating with donors like the World Bank, ADB and Japan Bank for financial assistance to construct the bridge.
IANS
