DHAKA: The installation of the railway girders at rail viaducts has started at Jajira end of the much-hyped Padma Bridge. A total of 266 meter rail girders will be installed on the end of Jajira.

Local and foreign engineers successfully installed a girder between pillars J-2 and J-3 at 12:30 pm on Friday (April 19). Five more I girders (only for rail) will be installed on these pillars.

These railway girders are being installed for the movement of trains that will connect Dhaka, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Shariatpur, Madaripur, Faridpur, Gopalganj, Narail and Jashore. 

Padma Bridge engineering sources said Railway girders will only be installed in the viaduct.  At the Jajira end, the 38 meters length and 2.1 meters of I-girders will be installed on 7 pillars in Viaduct. Six girders will be placed from one pillar to another pillar. A total of 42 girders will be placed on the Jazira end. All the pillars are ready for the placement of the girders.

However, the Padma Bridge project is related to the eight mega projects of developing the transnational railway connectivity among the South Asian countries. The rail line will serve the South-West part of the nation. 

The principal works of rail link of the Padma Bridge involve constructing 169 kilometres of main line, 43.33km loop and siding, laying down 215.22km broad gauge rail truck, 23.37km viaduct and 1.98km ramps.

The 10th span (superstructure) of the 6.15-km Padma Bridge has been installed at its Mawa end on Wednesday (April 10), making 1.5 kilometers (1,500 metres) of the much-hyped bridge visible.

The 11th span (superstructure) of the much-awaited bridge is likely to be installed between pillar 33 and 34 on April 23.

BDST: 1238 HRS, APR 19, 2019
RS