Padma Bridge

The Padma Multipurpose Bridge, commonly known as the Padma Bridge, is a two-level road-rail bridge across the Padma River, the main distributary of the Ganges in Bangladesh. It connects Louhajang Upazila of Munshiganj with Zazira Upazila of Shariatpur and a small part of Shibchar Upazila in Madaripur, linking the less developed southwest of the country to its northern and eastern regions. The bridge was inaugurated on 25 June 2022 by then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The bridge is considered the most challenging construction project in the history of Bangladesh. The steel truss bridge carries a four-lane highway on the upper level and a single-track railway on the lower level. The bridge consists of 41 sections, each 150.12 m (492.5 ft) long and 22 metres (72 ft) wide, with a total length of 6.15 km (3.82 mi). It is the longest bridge in Bangladesh by both span and total length, and features the deepest pile depth of any bridge in the world at 127 m (417 ft). The construction of this bridge was deemed to be especially challenging due to specific constraints related to the width and depth of the Padma river. The bridge was expected to boost the GDP of Bangladesh by up to 1.23 percent. The bridge connects 13 districts (of a total 21) to other regions of the country which have an above-average poverty rate. Following the inauguration of the bridge, economic activity in the southwestern regions was expected to be significantly boosted, with several big companies opening productions there prior to completion. 17 economic zones are planned at different places in the southwestern region. The Padma Multipurpose Bridge generated approximately Tk. 800 crore (8 billion) through toll collection in its first year. Data analysis from the bridge department reveals that on average, more than 15,000 vehicles cross the...