Rail tracks being removed from Jamuna Bridge to widen road

 
The Bridges Division has begun removing the nuts and bolts from the now-disused railway line to widen the roadway on the Jamuna Bridge.

According to the Jamuna Bridge Department, the current width of each lane of the Jamuna Bridge is 6.3 meters, where the width should be 7.3 meters. The additional 3.5 meters that will be available when the railway line is removed. 

When the expansion work is done, it is expected to reduce the long traffic jams greatly caused by the pressure of vehicles like Eid occasions.

Ahsanul Kabir Pavel, executive engineer of the Jamuna Bridge site office, said: "At the beginning of April, both the Sirajganj district administration and the Bridges Division sent separate letters requesting the removal of the railway track. Based on that, the removal work has started. Once the work is completed, all the materials will be handed over to the railway authorities."

He said, "One lane of the bridge currently measures only 6.3 metres, while the minimum required width for a road lane is 7.3 metres. As a result, during Eid, increased traffic pressure causes long tailbacks on the bridge, leading to difficulties for passengers and drivers."

Meanwhile, 3.5 metres of space on the bridge lies abandoned, which, if removed, would allow both lanes to be widened, he added.

To mention, the bridge was inaugurated in 1998, featuring both road and rail links, establishing connectivity between Dhaka and the northwestern region of the country. However, cracks appeared in the bridge in 2008, resulting in a reduced train speed limit that caused inconvenience for passengers.

To resolve the issue, the Jamuna Railway Bridge was constructed just 300 metres away.

It began carrying passengers for the first time on February 12.

Since then, train operations on the Jamuna Bridge have been fully suspended.

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