Bangladesh Railway (BR) has finally decided to construct a dedicated railway bridge with dual gauge rail track at Kalurghat in Chattogram city.
It will replace the century-old rail bridge which has already become vulnerable to train movement, official sources said.
Earlier, the state-owned train operator decided to replace the old bridge with a new bridge known as Kalurghat Bridge with a single railway track and two-lane road facility.
Officials said BR revised the decision at an inter-ministerial meeting on Tuesday as the Prime Minister gave a directive to construct a dedicated railway bridge at Kalurghat.
A meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council in June sent back the BR's Kalurghat rail-cum-road project to comply with the PM's directive.
The cost of the project titled 'construction of a rail-cum-road bridge over the Karnaphuli River at Kalurghat' was estimated at Tk 11.65 billion.
An official who attended the meeting said the decision to build the new railway bridge with dual gauge facility was taken considering its importance. He said the bridge will now be built with broad gauge and metre gauge tracks.
Both road and rail traffic in the area are likely to increase due to its location within Asian Highway and Trans-Asian Railway Network connecting China, India and Myanmar.
The railway's new rail bridge will also help remove barriers to operation of trains between Chittagong and Cox's Bazar and will create a new corridor for Matarbari deep seaport.
The officials said the inter-ministerial meeting attended by representatives from Economic Relations Division, Roads and Highways Department, Ministry of Railways and Planning Commission decided to request the Korean development fund to extend financial support in this regard.
Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) of Korea was supposed to provide Tk 7.84 billion as loan for the Tk 11.65 billion Kalurghat rail-cum-road project. The feasibility study on the project was also done with financial support from Korean Exim Bank.
The metre-gauge rail bridge was constructed at Kalurghat in 1931 and road communication was established in 1962.
