Padma Bridge to open June 25

The Padma Bridge will open for vehicular movement on 25 June, said Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader.

He was speaking to reporters after a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganabhaban in the capital on Tuesday.

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the Padma Bridge at 10am on 25 June. The bridge will be named after the river Padma,” Obaidul Quader said.  

"Foreign dignitaries and opposition party leaders will be invited to join the programme," he added.  

With the launch of the Padma Bridge, 19 districts in the south and southwest of the country will be directly connected to the rest of the country.

As a result of the construction of the expressway on the Dhaka-Bhanga road earlier, the travel time on this route will be reduced to one hour.

According to project authorities, work on the main bridge has progressed 98% till 16 May.

The progress of river training is 92%. In all, the progress of the Padma Bridge project is 95%.

The length of Padma Bridge (main bridge) is 6.15km. The two-way flyover (viaduct) is 3.8km. In all, the length of the bridge is 9.83km.

Travelling through the Padma Bridge to the south and southwest of the country will be easier and time will be reduced.

In addition to facilitating movement, the Padma Bridge will have a positive impact on the economy.

According to a survey, once the Padma Bridge project is implemented, the gross domestic product (GDP) will increase at the rate of 1.23%.

The GDP of the south-western region of the country will grow by 2.3%.