Sunday, May 26, 2019

Cumilla to Dhaka | Now only in One and Half Hour




After a long waiting, the second Meghna Bridge and Meghna-Gomti (Daudkandi) Bridge has been opened for vehicular movement. The Economy lifeline of Bangladesh, Dhaka- Comilla- Chittagong national highway will now remain free of Traffic congestion due to the inauguration of these important bridges. Kanchpur Bridge has already inaugurated on March this year.

People of the Comilla zone already started getting the benefits of these three bridges while travelling on Dhaka- Cumilla- Chittagong highway. It takes around one and a half hour to go to Dhaka from Comilla on after the bridges inauguration. But before, sometimes it took 8 to 10 hours even more. If there were no congestion near the bridge, the passengers usually reached this distance in three to four hours.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today inaugurated the second Meghna Bridge and second Gomti Bridge on Dhaka- Cumilla- Chattagram National Highway (N1) on 25th May 2019, Saturday morning. The Prime Minister inaugurated two of the bridges through video conferencing from the official residence Gonobhaban.



At the same time, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Baimail Bridge at Joydevpur- Chandra- Tangail- Elenga Highway under Sasek link road project, Konabari and Chandra flyover, Kaliakair- Deohata- Mirzapur- Gharinda underpass and Kodda-1 Bridge.

Road Transport and Traffic Minister Obaidul Quader gave welcome speech on the inauguration ceremony. Minister of Liberation War Affairs AKM Mozammel Haque and Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzak were present on the stage. Japan Ambassador Hiroasu Izumi in Bangladesh was present and spoke on the occasion.

Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister conducts the inauguration ceremony. Details of the road transport and highway department secretary presented video presentation. On 16th March 2019, the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the second Kanchpur Bridge on the Shitalakshya River near Chittagong Road.


Japanese contracting firm Obayashi Corporation, Shimzhu Corporation, JFF Corporation and IHI Infra Systems Company Limited started the construction work of second Kanchpur Bridge in January 2016 together with the second Meghna and Gomati bridges.

The total cost of construction of these three bridges was 8 thousand 487 crores. Of these, Japan's JICA has provided Tk 6,330 crore. According to the agreement, Japanese companies started work in January 2016 and will complete in June 2019 but the project is completed before the scheduled time. Also they handed over BD Taka 700 crores to the Government which has saved.

Due to the terrorist attacks of Holi Artisan bakery in July 2016, the government has fixed the tenure of construction for six months till December 2019. The construction of the bridge was completed seven months before the scheduled time.

The second Meghna Bridge of 17.75 meter width and the cost of Taka 1,750 crore which is 930 meters long including 12 spans. The cost was Taka 1,950 crore for the Meghna-Gomti River which is 1,410 meters long with 17 spans and 17.75 meters wide. Construction of the two bridges ended in the 41st month for almost three and a half years.




For the convenience of public festivities, the overpass of the eastern part of the Kanchpur Bridge will be opened on May 31.

After the inauguration of these bridges the Highway is remaining free from traffic congestion. Passengers, Drivers are very happy. They can now go to Dhaka – Cumilla within a short time. Drivers of Royal Coach, Prince Transport, Asialine, Tisha, BRTC and other bus services said that now it will take only 1.5 to 2 hours to travel through this route.

Passengers of Cumilla region are really happy. In the last five or six year’s peoples have suffered a lot due to the traffic congestion in this national highway. Sometimes it took 15 hours to travel this 97 KM distance (Cumilla to Dhaka).

The below screenshot is after six hour of inauguration of the bridges from Google Map traffic. Indication shows no sign of traffic congestion on the three points: Kanchpur bridge, Meghna bridge and Daudkandi (Meghna-Gomati) bridge.



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