[ad_1]
Both the time and cost to build the Dream Padma Bridge have increased. Initially, the cost was estimated at Tk 10,172 crore, but recently it has tripled to Tk 30,193 crore. On the other hand, after the beginning of the design formulation, the launch of the bridge was announced in 2013, but it has been delayed due to various complications. Finally, the bridge of dreams is scheduled to open to the public in March 2022. This information has been known from sources at the Ministry of Finance and Planning.
According to sources, the Padma bridge project was approved by ECNEC in 2006 at a cost of Tk 10,172 crore, but now its cost has exceeded Tk 30,000 crore. According to sources, the executive committee of the National Economic Council (NEC) had announced the launch of the bridge in 2013 after the Padma Bridge design was initially prepared by the ECNEC in 2008, but then decided to launch it in 2018 after hiring a construction contractor. According to the latest decision, it will not occur in December 2021. Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said that the Padma Bridge would open to the public in March 2022.
It is known that after the amendment of the first project proposal in 2011, the construction cost of the Padma Bridge stood at Tk 20,508 crore. In 2016, the cost was increased to Tk 30,193 crore without modifying the project. As of November 2020, the main bridge progress is 91 percent, river governance is 8 percent, and overall progress is 72.5 percent.
Note that the construction of the Padma Bridge began in 2014. Then the first span was installed in September 2016. Then the span begins to settle step by step with various challenges. At first, each tranche was laid at intervals of a few months. Later, however, the span of the bridge began to settle rapidly. In addition, the experience of engineers is also increasing. That’s why it took less time to install the last stretch, project officials said.
According to stakeholders, the Padma multipurpose bridge project was approved by ECNEC in 2008 at a cost of Taka 10,161.65 million. Later, with some changes in the design, its length and cost increased. After this, in 2011 the construction cost of the Padma Bridge was increased to Tk 20,508.20 crore and its revised project was approved by the ECNEC. In 2017, spending increased again by Tk 6,026 crore. As a result, the total cost of the project was Tk 26,793.39 crore. The latest increase of Tk 1,400 crore has exceeded Tk 30,000 crore.
According to the Department of Bridges, the cost of acquiring 1,530 hectares of land in the original project’s DPP was estimated at Tk 1,299 crore. But the total land acquisition was 2,797 hectares. The total expenditure required for additional land is Tk 2,699 crore. For all these reasons, a further Rs 1,400 million Tk was required for the acquisition of land in the Padma Bridge project.
Meanwhile, due to the fifth time extension, the inauguration is not possible on the occasion of entering the 50th anniversary of the victory in December 2021. Therefore, the new objective of the inauguration is March 2022, the golden jubilee of independence. Bridge construction time has increased by 5 points due to various reasons, including crown, flood and pile complications. Although the first section was installed on September 30, 2016, it took 3 years and three months to complete the installation of the full 41 sections.
In this context, Planning Minister MA Mannan said that the length of the bridge has increased due to various design changes. This has increased the cost. On the other hand, additional land had to be purchased for the bridge at the end. The cost of building the bridge has also increased. And if you change the design, the length of the bridge will increase. He also said that work on the bridge has been hampered due to construction works this year.
[ad_2]
