Capacity lights shine on Padma Bridge for the first time

All the lights on the Padma Bridge have been lit for the first time 10 days before the inauguration of the mega structure.

As many as 415 lights along the 6.15 km bridge were switched on at a time on the stretch from Munshiganj’s Mawa end to Shariatpur’s Zajira on Tuesday.

On Monday, 205 of the lights powered by the Mawa substation were turned on.

The illuminated bridge dazzled the people on the banks of Padma.

Shafiqul Islam, project director of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge, said the lights were tested in phases after being set up in posts. There are eight panels to operate the 415 lamp posts - 328 of them on the main bridge, 46 at the Zajira end and 41 more at the Mawa end.

On Jun 4, authorities lit up 24 lights to shine the first artificial light on the bridge. The engineers then tested all the connection points before connecting the panels to the two substations below the two ends of the bridge. All checks were completed by Jun 10.

“The posts and the lights can withstand wind velocity of 200 km per hour. The lights will also be active in overcast conditions during the day or in dense fog, anytime when the visibility is low.”

On Jun 11, the 175-watt lights were tested on generator backup and they were lit with electricity on Tuesday. These lights are capable of providing illumination at full capacity for 20 years.

Authorities began setting lamp posts at the Mawa end of the bridge on Nov 25. Engineers said the lights are being powered by temporary substations and permanent ones will be set up soon.

The bridge will also be decorated with aesthetic lights, which are reserved for special occasions to attract tourists. Engineer Saddam Hossain said they have attached two lightning insulation drives with each light.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will open the bridge on Jun 25 to connect people from south-western Bangladesh.