Asphalt carpeting works on the roadway slabs of the long waited Padma Multipurpose Bridge have officially begun.
China Major Bridge Engineering Company (MBEC) started paving asphalt from the Jajira end of the bridge at around 9:40am on Wednesday.
Confirming the matter to The Business Standard, Dewan Md Abdul Quader, executive engineer of the main bridge project, said, “First we are going to pave 300 metres of the bridge. It will take us at least four months to complete the whole bridge.
“This will only be possible if we can work without any interruption.”
“Carpeting started from Pillar No. 40 of the Padma Bridge. The initial asphalt layer is 2.5 inches thick. Another layer of 1.5 inch
“Besides, we will start installing the street lights of the bridge from next month,” the engineer added.
Earlier on 13 July, authorities paved 60 metres of the bridge’s roadway on a trial basis.
According to sources, the progress of physical works of the main structure of the Padma Bridge is 95%. The overall progress of the bridge construction now stands at 88.75%.
Padma Bridge is the biggest project in Bangladesh the construction work of the bridge began in December 2014.
On September 30, 2017, the first span was installed on the 37th and 38th pillars.
The last span was installed in last year’s December.
A total of 2,917 road slabs and 2,959 railway slabs have been installed on the 6.15km-long bridge.
The roadway will be up to 22 metres long and 2 to 2.15 metres wide.
The final road slab was laid on 23 August.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the construction of the main bridge in December 2015.
As per the revised proposal, the project is expected to finish by June 2022.
