Road, rail projects see poor progress in 2020

The year 2020 is going to end with the relatively slow progress in the country's fast-track, mega road and rail transport projects amid coronavirus pandemic.

The global crisis that began in Wuhan city of China last December first hit the projects being implemented with Chinese experts and contractors.

Foreign consultants departed Bangladesh after general holiday was declared on March 26, leaving Padma Multipurpose Bridge (PMB) project, Padma Bridge Rail Link (PBRL) project and the projects to develop Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) lines in the lurch.

Sources said these projects suffered further in the absence of local workers to check the spread of coronavirus.

But an exception was there.

The Bangladesh Bridges Authority (BBA) claimed that Karnaphuli Tunnel project was not affected by Covid-19 as the Chinese continued work under the river even during the pandemic period.

Like other projects, sources said, the scheme faced problems in importing machinery and equipment to the project site due to suspension of shipments.

PMB project director M Shafiqul Islam said due to stoppage of shipments, rail stringers for the rail part of Padma bridge could not be brought in time.

The target to finish span installation work was also delayed for five months from July to December.

But the PMB project was able to make a significant achievement on December 10 when the last composite steel truss structure was placed on piers 12 and 13 of the country's largest 6.15-kilometre bridge.

However, it faced another blow in mid-2020 after river water swelled and erosion washed away part of construction yards taking roadway slabs, 192 railway girders into riverbed on July 31.

The Chinese contractor of the Tk 301.19-billion project has already ordered the materials which are expected to arrive by next February.

All these have pushed the deadline of the opening of the bridge to 2022 from December 2021.

"We have, however, continued the Padma bridge work in unusual situations," Mr Islam said over phone.

The PMB project was among the first few to set up coronavirus unit on worksite soon after the lockdown to check infection among workers.

He said coronavirus led to unavailability of adequate local workers on building sites. Some 30-percent shortage of labour and Chinese workers is still there.

Progress in the PMB project is better than the PBRL one being implemented by Bangladesh Railway.

But the two projects, however, are still to overcome a new problem over clearance of horizontal and vertical gaps of elevated rail tracks after spending more than six months.

The PMB project objected to the PBRL project over its horizontal and vertical design of elevated tracks which are to cross approach roads on either side of Padma bridge.

Over the issue, the Tk 392.46-billion PBRL project's progress has further been impeded.

PBRL project director Golam Fakhruddin A Chowdhury refrained from giving comment on the problem.

But he said the project got delayed for its inability to import materials like steel girders from China. The absence of adequate manpower, thanks to the corona scourge, also led to further delay in execution.

"We couldn't send our team to China to get first consignment last February. After lockdown was relaxed, the shipment was managed through checking girders by third party in July."

The project work is still carried out through managing the design consultants virtually, Mr Chowdhury said at his office.

He further said that the prolonged flood also slowed down implementation as some parts of the 172-kilometre elevated rail tracks were inundated.

Although PMB project has been able to achieve 91-percent progress in the building work, PBRL project was able to make 29-percent progress till November 2020.