The much-talked about Raniganj Bridge on the river Kushiyara in Jagannathpur upazila of Sunamganj is all set for inauguration.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to inaugurate the bridge, along with 16 other bridges on November 7, Ashraful Islam, the executive engineer of Roads and Highways Department in Sunamganj confirmed.
The opening ceremony will be held at Raniganj High School premises. Planning Minister MA Mannan is expected to attend the ceremony in Raniganj while the prime minister will join virtually.
The Raniganj Bridge, the longest bridge in Sylhet division, is expected to bring about a major shift in communication for residents of Sunamganj. Their sufferings in travelling through Sylhet to reach Dhaka will be over once the bridge is opened to traffic.
Roads and Highways Department officials told Dhaka Tribune that the bridge will reduce Sunamganj’s travel distance with Dhaka by 55 kilometres. As a result, the travel distance is expected to come down to 235 kilometres from the current 290.
In 2017, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader and the then State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan laid the foundation stone for the bridge, which was to have been completed by the end of 2018.
But due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the construction of the bridge was interrupted.
The 702 meter-long bridge comprises 15 spans and 12 piers and has been built at a cost of Tk155 crore.
Talking to Dhaka Tribune, Planning Minister MA Mannan, who is Member of Parliament from Sunamganj-3 constituency, hoped that this bridge will open up new opportunities for road connectivity in the region.
He said that local people will hugely benefit from improved communications with Dhaka. The bridge will boost economic activity in Sunamganj as well, he hoped.
Bijon Kumar Deb, vice chairman of Jagannathpur upazila, said: “This bridge is like the Padma Bridge for the people of Sunamganj.”