CHITTAGONG: The third Karnaphuli Bridge is likely to open to the traffic by next month, as the Roads and Highways department is waiting to get the Prime Minister’s schedule for its inauguration.

“The communication minister is expected to visit the project on Friday and announce the date of its inauguration,” said the project director of the Bridge Bidhan Chandra Dhar to banglanews24.com.bd.

The China Major Bridge (CMB) Company started the construction work on April 19, 2006 involving Tk 372 funded by the Kuwait government and ended in July this year.

The 950-metre-long and 24.47-metre-wide bridge was named ‘Extra Dose Cable Bridge’ for its technique of construction, said Roads and Highway officials.

They hoped that the bridge would immensely benefit millions of people of Cox`s Bazar, Bandarban and southern upazilas of Chittagong and boost up economic activities there. More than 13 thousand vehicles will move on the bridge everyday, they added.

The government also allocated Tk 142 crore for the construction of a 4-lane 5 km link road from the bridge to Bohoddarhat to ease the pressure of transportation on the bridge. This project will be fully finished by 2013, said officials concerned.

BDST 1531 HRS, AUG 24, 2010