PM to inaugurate Modhumoti, third Shitalakhya bridges

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.

Meanwhile, 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.

Though the project was approved in 2010 in the ECNEC, construction work started on January 28 in 2018.

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.