First Padma Bridge span to be installed Saturday

The first span of the Padma Bridge is going to be placed on pillars on Saturday.

The project's Executive Engineer (Resettlement) Tofazzel Hossain said Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader will witness the work at Zajira end of the bridge in Shariatpur in the morning.

The 150 metres long superstructure weighing around 32 tonnes will be put on the pillars no. 37 and 38.

The shuttering of the pillars have been removed. "We are putting the finishing touches. The span will be placed at 11am," Tofazzel said on Friday.

The 6.15 kilometres bridge will have 42 pillars, including two on the river banks.

Officials and engineers said four more spans would be placed in October.

"We are very much proud to be involved with this project. The engineers are also delighted as their ceaseless work is going to be visible," said Project Director Shafiqul Islam.

A floating crane has already carried the span to Zajira from Mawa, engineers said. Now the 'bearing work' was under way, which would help the span tolerate vibration and maintain balance, they said.

The span will be placed when the pillars achieve the ability to bear 50 megapascal pressure.

The construction of the bridge's main infrastructure started in 2015.

Until now, around 47 percent of the around Tk 288 billion project is complete.

The government expects to finish the project by December next year.