Move to complete forgotten bridges

The government has embarked on a Tk 437.40 crore project to complete 65 bridges that have been lying incomplete for years for want of funds and proper attention of the authorities concerned causing acute public sufferings.

The task of completing these bridges, which are 7,563.90 metres in length, will take three years and will cost twice to thrice the amount they would have required if completed in due time, communications ministry sources said.

Constructions of a few of these bridges started at the initiatives of local parliamentarians elected since 1990 at the fag end of their governance. Left incomplete, these bridges later saw the incumbent MPs' indifference and non-availability of fund.

The construction work of two such bridges--Mokorrompur Bridge on Rahanpur-Bholahat-BDR Camp Road in Chapainawabganj and Kachkair Bridge on Ahmedpur-Baroigram-Gurudaspur Road in Natore--started in 1995.

The Roads and Highways Department (RHD), which is responsible for constructing bridges, have identified 14 bridges in Dhaka zone, three in Comilla, 13 in Sylhet, five in Chittagong, six in Rajshahi, 11 in Rangpur, four in Khulna and nine in Barisal zones.

The project has been included in the Annual Development Programme for FY2008-2009, Communications Secretary Dr Mahbubur Rahman told The Daily Star.

The work would start immediately after completion of the tender formalities following approval of the project evaluation committee and the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec), he said.

"Most of the bridges could not be completed because of want of necessary funds," he said, adding that since it needs several years to complete the work, the government needs to allocate the funds in several phases.

"But the government does not allocate sufficient funds for incomplete bridges every year, forcing the implementation authorities to stop work midway," he said.

Under the three-year project, 13 bridges will be completed in the next fiscal year, 33 in FY2009-2010 and the rest in the following fiscal year, said RHD Superintendent Engineer Nabinoor Islam Khan.

"Local MPs undertook projects for constructing a few such bridges without ensuring the necessary budget at the fag end of their governments to earn popularity," an official of the communications ministry said.

The construction of the 62.50m Rajbari Bridge on Salna-Kapasia-Mathkhola Road in Gazipur began on December 14, 2004 and was scheduled to be completed by May 13, 2006. Now it will need about Tk 2.93 crore more to complete its remaining construction work.

The contractor of Shaheli Bridge on Aricha-Ghior-Daulatpur-Tangail Road in Manikganj could not start the construction of the bridge as the ADB loan period expired and also because of improper programme assessment. Time for completing the work expired on June 30 last year.

Meantime, construction of a new 24.4m bridge on Brahmanbaria Town Road was planned and the construction firm was selected for the Tk 1.98 crore work last year. The work order, however, could not be issued as there was no fund, said RHD sources.

Following public outcry, the communications ministry started locating the incomplete bridges in January this year.

According to RHD documents, work orders of 16 of the 65 incomplete bridges were issued in 2006, of eight in 2001, of six bridges each in 2000, 2004 and 2005, of five in 1998 and 2007 and of four bridges in 1999.

There are a few running projects which will also need fund for completion, said RHD sources