DHAKA, August 31, 2022 (BSS) - The Rupsha Rail Bridge, part of the Khulna-
Mongla Port Rail Line Project, has been completed under the concessional Line
of Credit (LOC) of India paving the way for boosting connectivity and
accessibility to Mongla Port.

The Rupsha Rail Bridge, completed on June 25, 2022, is a 5.13 kilometer
broad-gauge single-track railway bridge constructed by Indian EPC Contractor
M/s L&T and it has connected Khulna with the Mongla port via a rail line.
 
While paying a field-visit to the bridge project site in Khulna, it was found
that the construction work of the bridge has been completed and was awaiting
its hand over to the government. However, the erection of the railway track
on both sides of the bridge is yet to be completed.

Talking to reporters at the project site, Amritosh Kumar Jha, project manager
of the Khulna Mongla Rail Bridge Project WD-2, said that the total project
cost is US$388.92 million while the cost of constructing the Rupsha Bridge is
US$169.26 million. "The bridge has been constructed over the Rupsha tidal
river, and this was a challenging engineering feat as it required specialized
base grouting technology for piling work," he added.

Amritosh said the Rupsha Railway Bridge is at the handing over condition
while the bridge having single-track broad gauge has an expected life span of
100 years.

The Project Manager said they have already informed the government that they
are ready to hand over the bridge.

He said once completed, the rail line would help increase the connectivity of
Mongla Port, the second largest port of Bangladesh and provide an alternate
route for rail and maritime trade.

The project manager said it would also allow other countries in the region to
use the port and boost sub-regional trade. The Rupsha railway bridge and the
Khulna-Mongla port rail line will greatly facilitate the transportation of
goods and the enhanced connectivity and accessibility to and from Mongla Port
and thus will improve market access for local businesses including for
agricultural produce of farmers in the region.

"It is also expected to positively impact tourism to prominent spots in the
south-western part of Bangladesh," he added.

The project manager informed that some 856 pile foundations were constructed
on viaduct sections and 72 pile foundations were constructed for the steel
bridge section with an average pile length of 72 meter. The bridge also has
additional features such as navigation fenders piles upstream and downstream
of the pier for ensuring navigation safety in the river.

The navigational clearance for the main bridge is more than 18 meter from
Standard High-Water Level (SHWL). The construction materials for the steel
bridge superstructure were imported from India using road, sea and inland
rivers.

Since the Chattogram Port is overloaded, there will be more pressure on the
Mongla Port in the coming days with its upgradation, Amritosh said.

With the rolling out of the Khulna-Mongla Rail Line and the Rupsha Railway
Bridge, it would be possible to transport goods and containers in larger
volume to and from the Mongla Port while the neighboring countries like Nepal
and Bhutan would also be able to take benefits from it, he added.

The total length of the main bridge is 716.80 meters while the width is 5.5
meters with the height of each girder with 12.25 meters.

Among some other salient features of the bridge, the total length of the
approach bridge is 4413 meters while the width is 6.60 meters. The type of
this structure is steel plate girder with RCC deck while the overall weight
of structural steel is 11534 tonnes with each span weighing 85 tonnes.

Besides, the total concrete quantity is 1.72 lakh cubic meter while the total
structural steel quantity is 17007 tonnes.