প্রকাশ: 09/10/2022
Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the country’s first ever six-lane
Modhumoti Bridge in Narail and the third Shitalakhya Bridge in Narayanganj at
12 noon tomorrow through a videoconferencing from her office.
The
690-meter long Modhumoti Bridge, which is locally called Kalna Bridge, is built
on river Modhumoti at a cost of Taka 960 crore with the funding of Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
It
connects Narail, Gopalganj, Khulna, Magura, Satkhira, Chuadanga, Jashore, and
Jhenidah districts.
Once
opened, the people of the south-western region will enjoy faster road
communication as the bridge will reduce over 100-kilometer distance from
Kalnaghat to capital Dhaka, according to project officials.
People of
at least 10 southwestern districts will be able to travel to different areas at
less time. It will also reduce travel time from the country’s largest land port
Benapole and Jashore to Dhaka, as the distance will only be 130km.
Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone of Modhumoti Bridge on January
24 in 2015 in between Kashiani upazila under Gopalganj district and Lohagara
upazila under Narail district.
The people
of the region now use the Dhaka-Jashore-Benapole Highway via Paturia-Daulatdia
ferry ghat meaning they travel 100 kilometers more to reach Dhaka from
Jashore.
According
to project officials, the bridge will be a part of Asian Highway which will
connect the capital with the country’s south-western zone including country’s
biggest Benapole Land Port.
The 27.1
meter wide bridge would have six lanes including four high speed lanes and two
service lanes with 4.30 kilometer approach road.
Md
Shahidul Islam Milon, ex-president of Jashore Chamber of Commerce and
Industries, said the bridge will boost economy of the region and ease road
communication massively.
The
economic activities of Benapole Land Port, Mongla Sea Port and Noapara River
Port will increase manifold, he said, adding that the residents of the region
can come back to their homes after finishing their jobs in Dhaka within a
day.
Some
commuters said their longstanding sufferings via Kalna Ferry Ghat would come to
an end through the opening of the bridge.
The 3rd
Shitalakhya Bridge, which is named after valiant Freedom Fighter AKM Nasim
Osman, will connect Narayanganj city with Bandar upazila, boosting economy,
easing the communication between Chattogram and southwestern districts via
Padma Bridge.
The
1.29-kilometer bridge will enable Chattogram region-bound vehicles from
southwestern region and vice-versa to bypass Narayanganj city to avoid traffic
congestion and save times, project director of the bridge Shoaib Ahmed told
BSS.
Country's
economy will get boosted up significantly as it will reduce the travel time of
vehicles bound to and from southwestern part of the country, he said.
The people
will get maximum benefit from the Padma Bridge, once the new road network is
built with the bridge, he also said.
The bridge
will connect Madanganaj of Bandar upazila to the east with Syedpur of
Narayanganj Sadar upazila to the west. Now motor-run boats are key
communication mode for the people of both sides of the river and other areas to
cross it.
Talking to
BSS, garment worker Tania, a resident of Madanganj said she has to come to
Gudaraghat on foot every morning and cross the river by boat to reach her
workplace.
Boats
often collide with large ships causing death of passengers as plying of
commercial ships has increased a lot in recent times, she said.
"Now
it has become frightening for us to cross the river by boat. Fears multiply
during monsoon. When the bridge will be opened, our movement will be easier and
fearless," she said.
Bandar
upazila resident and cultural personality Yusuf Atik Malik said the bridge will
be more significant in national perspective than local.
Now,
vehicles from southwestern region use Jatrabari route in Dhaka via Postogola
Bridge to go to Chattogram region or use Chashara and Signboard route to reach
their destinations, he said.
After
opening of Shitalakhya Bridge, vehicles will not have to face severe traffic
congestion in Panchabati BSCIC industrial area, Panchabati intersection,
Chashara intersection, Singboard, Chattogram road in Narayanganj or Postogola
and Shanir Akhra route in Dhaka, said Shoaib Ahmed.
The
vehicles will be able to bypass capital as well as Narayanganj city, he said,
adding that moreover the pressure on the capital and Narayanganj city will also
be reduced.
Though the
project was approved in 2010 in the ECNEC, construction work started on January
28 in 2018.
The PD
said the bridge construction is estimated at a cost of Taka 608.56 crore as
Taka 263.36 crore came from Bangladesh government fund and Taka 345.20 crore
from Saudi Fund for Development (SFD).
The bridge
with walkways has 38 spans - five in river and 33 in east and west ends. The
width of the bridge along with walkways is 22.15 meters.
The
Shitalakhya River separates the Bandar Upazila and Sonargoan Upazila from the
district head quarter. These two Upazilas are not directly connected to the
district head quarter by road. Kanchpur Bridge (Shitalakhya-1 Bridge) has to be
used to go the district head quarter from the two upazilas which requires
nearly 30 km of travelling by road to cross just 3 to 5 km distance through the
river by boat.
Several thousands of people living in Bandar Upazila cross the river Shitalakhya by boat every day for work in Narayangonj and Munshigonj. Similarly, people from Narayangonj and Munshigonj also cross the river Shitalakhya by boat to come to Bandar or Sonargoan Upazila. The 3rd Shitalakhya Bridge at Bandar upazila, Narayanganj will establish direct road communication between Bandar upazila and the district head quarter.
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