Sylhet-Sunamganj Highway
Reconstruction of 11 bridges awaits start for two years
Reconstruction of eleven bridges on Sylhet-Sunamganj regional highway has not started even after a year into completion of the tender process allegedly due to bureaucratic tangles.
Funded by JICA, a special project styled 'Eastern Bangladesh Bridge Improvement Project' (EBBIP), was taken up four years ago to renovate the bridges at a cost of Tk 180 crore..
During her first visit to Sunamganj district in 2010, the Prime Minister had assured the locals of implementing the special project immediately for the improvement of the regional highway.
Accordingly, a tender for reconstruction of the bridges was floated in 2010 and evaluation was done in June 2011. But since then things remained shelved, sources alleged.
President of the Sunamganj Samity in Sylhet Principal Ataur Rahman Pir said they had sent several letters to the authorities including the finance minister in this regard but to no effect.
“The work has not started yet, although the officials assured us of taking immediate measures”, he added.
Plying of all types of vehicles including trucks through the road increased significantly in the recent years with the activities at Barchhara Land Customs Station and a number of stone quarries in the district on the Meghalayan borders, sources said.
Besides, hundreds of stone crushing plants have been established around.
Contacted, project manager of the EBBIP, Bikash Chandra Das admitted that the project was supposed to start long ago.
Things delayed due to official formalities while the tender process also took much time, he said.
Inclement weather also stood on its way, Bikash said adding that it was really tough to work in Sunamgnj and Sylhet districts during the monsoon. The work will start next month, he added.
“Test piling is on and hopefully we would be able to start physical work in the winter this year”, the official said, "materials would reach the sites soon".
He further said that work on all the sites would begin simultaneously and by December 2013 the renovation job would be completed.
Contacted, the Superintending Engineer of Roads and Highways Department (RHD) in Sylhet Shah Mohammad Musa said preparatory work of the project took much time.
However, reconstruction of the eleven bridges at the old sites would start soon, he said.
The 36-month special project is scheduled to be completed in December 2013.
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