Construction of $2.4b Padma bridge begins in December
Staff Correspondent
Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain yesterday said construction of the $2.4 billion Padma multi-purpose bridge would begin in December this year with a target of finishing the work by 2013.
He placed a detailed schedule on the construction plan of the bridge at a joint press conference with the donors at a city hotel.
Ellen Goldstein, country director of World Bank, said donors desired speedy implementation of the bridge but they would not compromise with the work quality.
Abul Hossain said pre-qualification tender document for the main bridge has been approved in concurrence with the development partners by April 10.
Tender notice for pre-qualification of bidders has been published in the newspapers and they have been asked to submit their proposals by June 8, he said, adding that the date will not be extended further.
According to the plan, the government would appoint the contractor for main bridge construction by October 2010 after finalising pre-qualification of the bidders.
Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Abdul Karim, Communications Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, ADB Country Director Paul J Heyetns and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Representative Takao Toda participated in the programme.
Five short-listed consulting firms will submit their proposals on supervision work by May 13 and their appointment is likely to be finalised by August.
The minister told the press that the government started handing over cheques to first-phase project-hit people by recruiting some NGOs for smooth implementation of the resettlement.
According to the ministry proposal, the bridge, which will be 6.15km in length, will connect 19 districts of the south-western part of the country with the eastern part, including the capital, and it will be linked with the Asian Highway.
Of the $2.4 billion financing, different development partners have agreed to co-finance about $2.2 billion, of which the WB will provide $1.2 billion, Asian Development Bank $615 million, Islamic Development Bank $130 million and JICA $300 million.
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