The Planning Commission (PC) has suggested revision of the Paira Bridge construction project for the third time at the insistence of the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), insiders said on Friday.
The RHD failed to complete building the bridge having a length of only 1.47-kilometre in last seven years.
Now, the department sought revision of the bridge construction project, seeking eight months more time from the present execution deadline of April 2021 and 250 per cent hike in project cost.
A senior RHD official said they sought revision of the Paira Bridge project for the third time due to changes in the bridge design and rise in the cost of land and construction materials.
Development analyst Professor Selim Raihan said the government should not allow such revision and should take a tough stance against the implementing authority and personnel concerned.
He sought to know how a 1.47-km bridge project with 250 per cent cost hike and 10 years of implementation period could bring expected economic return.
A PC official said they have recommended the revision of the bridge project by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) at a revised cost of Tk 14.47 billion.
The project is expected to be placed before the ECNEC meeting shortly.
Earlier, the ECNEC endorsed the construction of Paira (Lebukhali) Bridge over Paira River on Barishal-Kuakata Highway in May 2012 at Tk 4.13 billion cost.
Kuwait government and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) joined as the co-financers of the bridge project, scheduled to be completed in December 2016.
Due to failure of completion in time, the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges revised the project, raising the cost to Tk 4.18 billion without extending the project implementation deadline.
But when the RHD failed to execute the project, the PC extended the deadline for six years up to June 2017.
However, the RHD again failed to complete the bridge construction. Rather, the agency sought time and cost revision, citing reasons like higher land acquisition cost and change in design.
As a result, the ECNEC revised the project further in June 2016, raising the cost to Tk 12.78 billion and extending the execution deadline up to April 2021, the officials said.
But, the state-run road developer sought revision of the project afresh, seeking 250.17 percent higher cost amounting to Tk 14.47 billion from the original estimation of Tk 4.13 billion.
A senior RHD official requesting for anonymity said the preliminary design of the bridge was faulty, and they had to change it after two years of beginning the project in 2012. So, now it is imperative to revise the overall project.
"The soil character of Paira River bed was soft, and the preliminary design was not matching with it, as found during the construction period. So, the consultant prepared a new design of the bridge," he added.
The government is building the Paira Bridge to establish a direct link with the country's second largest seaport Mongla and the southern region.
The RHD officials said the bridge will ensure ferry-free service on the Dhaka-Mawa-Faridpur-Barisal-Patuakhali Highway.
It will also boost tourism and accelerate trade activities with the southern region by establishing a direct link with Kuakata and Paira Port, they added.
