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Lalon Shah Bridge opens to traffic
5/19/2004
The Lalon Shah Bridge, built at a cost of Tk 10.65 billion (1065 crore), was opened to traffic Tuesday, report agencies.
Inaugurating the bridge, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia said the bridge named after great boul and mystic poet Lalon Shah would lessen the transportation time and save expenditure.
Khaleda Zia expressed the hope that the roadmap of development being pursued by the present government would lead Bangladesh to a ferry-free road network.
The country's second largest bridge, built over the river Padma at Paksey-Bheramara point was planned during her previous tenure.
The 1.8-km bridge was built parallel to the Hardinge Railway Bridge with a credit of Tk 8.20 billion from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and is refundable in 30 years. Tk 2.45 billion was provided by the government of Bangladesh.
The Bridge, established direct road link between the country's north-western and south-western parts will make easier the communications and goods transportation directly from Chittagong to Mongla port via Dhaka. It will also help make trade easier with India and Nepal through Mongla Port.
Describing direct road link as very important for development, the Prime Minister said that like its past rule (1991-96) her government had been building direct communications network through constructing bridges during the current tenure. She said her government had allocated about Tk 30 billion (3,000 crore) for road development and maintenance.
Khaleda Zia said that the work of the Rupsa bridge, Gorai bridge, Arial Khan bridge were progressing fast. The work for the construction of Mahakhali fly-over, Kanchan bridge on Dhaka-bypass road, and bridges in Muktarpur, Bosila and Demra were progressing.
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