Padma Bridge inspires potential rebuild of Kalurghat Bridge in Chittagong

[bluesky]

Padma Bridge inspires potential rebuild of Kalurghat Bridge in Chittagong

The redesigned bridge will include both a rail line and a road

www.dhakatribune.com

Padma Bridge inspires potential rebuild of Kalurghat Bridge in Chittagong
The redesigned bridge will include both a rail line and a road

File photo of Kalurghat Bridge Wikimedia Commons
Pimple Barua, Chittagong
July 16, 2022 2:19 AM

A Korean company has proposed a rebuild of the nearly century-old Kalurghat Bridge in Chittagong following the design of the recently launched Padma Multipurpose Bridge.

Like the much larger Padma Bridge, the redesigned Kalurghat Bridge will include both a rail line and a road.

The preliminary proposal on the proposed location, design, cost, and time-frame of the bridge's construction was presented to the Eastern Railway Authority on July 6 morning by YOOSHIN Engineering Corporation, a subsidiary of the state-owned Exim Bank of Korea.

According to railway officials, the two-lane bridge will be built 60m upstream of the existing bridge at a cost of Tk6,341 crore. In an earlier design, the bridge was going to be built at a cost of Tk1,200 crore.

Construction can begin as early as next year once the necessary approvals are given and paperwork is completed. It will take about four years to construct the bridge.

quoting the preliminary survey, Eastern Railway General Manager Jahangir Hossain said the proposed bridge would have a total length of 780 metres. Each span would be 100 metres long.

There will be a total of eight pillars, and the bridge would have a height of 12.2 metres.

The organization in charge of the survey will present its final report in August. The tender will be floated after analysing the report. The construction will take roughly four years.

Jahangir has high hopes the project will start next year.
Kalurghat Bridge focal person Mohammad Golam Mostafa said that the Korea's Economic Development Co-operation Fund (EDCF) has agreed to finance the whole project under favourable conditions.

Asked about the five-fold increase in costs, he said: "The new design is nothing like the old design.
“Earlier, there was a railway and a road bridge together. In the new proposal, it is a two-storey bridge. The height of the bridge was initially thought to be 7.6 metres, but it has been almost doubled. Since there have been significant modifications to the design, the cost has inevitably gone up.”

After the meeting on July 6, MP Moslem Uddin said: "During the inauguration of the third Karnaphuli Bridge in 2010, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced the construction of another bridge at Kalurghat.”

However, even after the matter was brought up in the Ecnec, the proposal was returned due to various complications. Late Moinuddin Khan Badal, the former MP, also made an effort, he said.

“At that time, the construction cost was much less. Some misunderstandings occurred here. However, the difficulty of constructing the bridge has now been minimized,” said lawmaker Moslem.

The bridge's proposed design will have several private areas on both sides of the road for traffic in addition to the railroad. It has been recommended to construct bridges on railway property due to the complexity of land acquisition, the MP said.

The bridge will provide access to areas of Boalkhali and Patiya upazilas from Chittagong city. Additionally, one of the rail links will connect the port city with Cox's Bazar.

The existing 700-yard-long Kalurghat Railway Bridge was built in 1930. Potholes have developed all over the bridge. Every day, thousands of vehicles and a few pairs of trains use the bridge, despite the risks. The bridge is a crucial transport route for many residents of the nearby Boalkhali Upazila. Every day, at least 50,000 people cross the bridge.

The railway authorities closed the bridge twice between 2004 and 2012 as it was considered hazardous.

 

[Bilal9]

There are bridges already in the vicinity of the Kalurghat bridge.

There is already the Shah Amanat bridge (image below), now they want another bridge? WTH for?? We also have the Karnafuli tunnel.

There is almost no traffic that warrants the construction of another bridge....

These people have become blind now, seeking graft generating projects....

 

[mb444]

Padma Bridge inspires potential rebuild of Kalurghat Bridge in Chittagong

The redesigned bridge will include both a rail line and a road

www.dhakatribune.com

Padma Bridge inspires potential rebuild of Kalurghat Bridge in Chittagong
The redesigned bridge will include both a rail line and a road

File photo of Kalurghat Bridge Wikimedia Commons
Pimple Barua, Chittagong
July 16, 2022 2:19 AM

A Korean company has proposed a rebuild of the nearly century-old Kalurghat Bridge in Chittagong following the design of the recently launched Padma Multipurpose Bridge.

Like the much larger Padma Bridge, the redesigned Kalurghat Bridge will include both a rail line and a road.

The preliminary proposal on the proposed location, design, cost, and time-frame of the bridge's construction was presented to the Eastern Railway Authority on July 6 morning by YOOSHIN Engineering Corporation, a subsidiary of the state-owned Exim Bank of Korea.

According to railway officials, the two-lane bridge will be built 60m upstream of the existing bridge at a cost of Tk6,341 crore. In an earlier design, the bridge was going to be built at a cost of Tk1,200 crore.

Construction can begin as early as next year once the necessary approvals are given and paperwork is completed. It will take about four years to construct the bridge.

quoting the preliminary survey, Eastern Railway General Manager Jahangir Hossain said the proposed bridge would have a total length of 780 metres. Each span would be 100 metres long.

There will be a total of eight pillars, and the bridge would have a height of 12.2 metres.

The organization in charge of the survey will present its final report in August. The tender will be floated after analysing the report. The construction will take roughly four years.

Jahangir has high hopes the project will start next year.
Kalurghat Bridge focal person Mohammad Golam Mostafa said that the Korea's Economic Development Co-operation Fund (EDCF) has agreed to finance the whole project under favourable conditions.

Asked about the five-fold increase in costs, he said: "The new design is nothing like the old design.
“Earlier, there was a railway and a road bridge together. In the new proposal, it is a two-storey bridge. The height of the bridge was initially thought to be 7.6 metres, but it has been almost doubled. Since there have been significant modifications to the design, the cost has inevitably gone up.”

After the meeting on July 6, MP Moslem Uddin said: "During the inauguration of the third Karnaphuli Bridge in 2010, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced the construction of another bridge at Kalurghat.”

However, even after the matter was brought up in the Ecnec, the proposal was returned due to various complications. Late Moinuddin Khan Badal, the former MP, also made an effort, he said.

“At that time, the construction cost was much less. Some misunderstandings occurred here. However, the difficulty of constructing the bridge has now been minimized,” said lawmaker Moslem.

The bridge's proposed design will have several private areas on both sides of the road for traffic in addition to the railroad. It has been recommended to construct bridges on railway property due to the complexity of land acquisition, the MP said.

The bridge will provide access to areas of Boalkhali and Patiya upazilas from Chittagong city. Additionally, one of the rail links will connect the port city with Cox's Bazar.

The existing 700-yard-long Kalurghat Railway Bridge was built in 1930. Potholes have developed all over the bridge. Every day, thousands of vehicles and a few pairs of trains use the bridge, despite the risks. The bridge is a crucial transport route for many residents of the nearby Boalkhali Upazila. Every day, at least 50,000 people cross the bridge.

The railway authorities closed the bridge twice between 2004 and 2012 as it was considered hazardous.

Bull crap, not needed... just fix the old one.

BD requires infrastructure everywhere.... there are more pressing needs.

 

[bluesky]

There are bridges already in the vicinity of the Kalurghat bridge.

There is already the Shah Amanat bridge (image below), now they want another bridge? WTH for?? We also have the Karnafuli tunnel.

There is almost no traffic that warrants the construction of another bridge....

These people have become blind now, seeking graft generating projects....

Shah Amanat is 12km away from the Kalurghat Bridge. Essentially, every 1 to 5 km, a bridge is needed. The tunnel is farther in the south. People here cannot traverse so long to cross the river.

People in the Kalurghat area both sides of the river have become long accustomed to the present bridge.

A railway component will be added to the new one just like the Padma bridge.

I think the present bridge should be renovated by replacing the rivets in the joints between the truss chords so that the bridge can be used during the time the new one is built.

I have not visited Kalurgahat bridge but since it was designed and built in the 1930s by British engineers, I have reason to believe that any two steel components have been joined by RIVETS instead of nuts and bolts.

In reality, it is a gusset plate that is used to join two steel parts. The 1930s was a time when rivets were preferred.

Usually, the rivets or bolts get rusted and become thinner making the bridge hazardous. It may collapse at any time because the thinner rivets have lesser Shearing Strength.

So, the old rivets must be replaced with new bolts and nuts. In Japan, good or bad, I have seen bolts replaced every ten years maximum. This is the law/ rule.

And our Golden Bangladesh has no such laws. Kalurghat is almost 100 years old. There are other bridges everywhere without maintenance. Ask your rail minister. He would reply it is not his duty to know these things.

In case of a collapse, he would answer it was the wish of Sky Power and what a human being can do to undo it?

 

[Bilal9]

Shah Amanat is 12km away from the Kalurghat Bridge. Essentially, every 1 to 5 km, a bridge is needed. The tunnel is farther in the south. People here cannot traverse so long to cross the river.

People in the Kalurghat area both sides of the river have become long accustomed to the present bridge.

A railway component will be added to the new one just like the Padma bridge.

I think the present bridge should be renovated by replacing the bolts in the joints between the truss chords so that the bridge can be used during the time the new one is built.

Usually, the bolts get rusted and become thinner making the bridge hazardous. It may collapse any time.

Ok I get it now @bluesky bhai, I thought Kalurghat and Shah Amanat bridge were closer together.

You are right they should build another bridge. Double decker would be best as it will have rail tracks on the lower level and will connect the main part of the city to Dohazari, then CXB to Gundum etc.

 

[Arthur]

There are bridges already in the vicinity of the Kalurghat bridge.

There is already the Shah Amanat bridge (image below), now they want another bridge? WTH for?? We also have the Karnafuli tunnel.

There is almost no traffic that warrants the construction of another bridge....

These people have become blind now, seeking graft generating projects....

Kalurghat bridge is primarily a railway bridge and access point to DHK-CTG-CXB railway route.

Chittagong is different topographically. Kalurghat, Amanat shah bridge & Bongudondhu tunnel connects population center of CTG that's disconnected from each other by the river.

Dhaka has a similar situation with Buriganga river. They already built like 7 major bridges over Buriganga alone.

 

[bluesky]

Kalurghat bridge is primarily a railway bridge and access point to DHK-CTG-CXB railway route.

Yes, it is basically a railway bridge. But, interestingly, vehicles and human beings also use it.

 

[Arthur]

Yes, it is basically a railway bridge. But, interestingly, vehicles and human beings also use it.

View attachment 862385

This bridge has very interesting history. Built during the ww2 for railway access to the Burma front. It was only a temporary bridge. It is a surprise that, it’s standing till now (Kudos to British Engineering.)

Railway repurposed it for both railway and road vehicles in the '50s (?).

It’s a really chaotic place.

 

[bluesky]

This bridge has very interesting history. Built during the ww2 for railway access to the Burma front. It was only a temporary bridge. It is a surprise that, it’s standing till now (Kudos to British Engineering.)

Railway repurposed it for both railway and road vehicles in the '50s (?).

It’s a really chaotic place.

Little correction. The Kalurghat bridge was built in 1930/ 1931 long before the 2nd WW. Perhaps, it had a great function during the war.

Unfortunately, our own engineering companies neither can do the stress analysis or design of similar bridges nor they are capable to build one. BD remains far behind most other countries.

This is why a Korean company will be given the job.

 

[Arthur]

Unfortunately, our own engineering companies neither can do the stress analysis or design of similar bridges nor they are capable to build one. BD remains far behind most other countries.

Our companies are just after quick bucks. They don’t have the far sight to realise investing on capacity enhancement and skill pays a lot more.

 

[bluesky]

Our companies are just after quick bucks. They don’t have the far sight to realise investing on capacity enhancement and skill pays a lot more.

Note one point that Indian companies can do stress or design analysis of the structures that are subjected to vertical loads (Dead Load, Live Load), Horizontal/ Lateral Loads (Wind Load and Earthquake Load) which try to destabilize and demolish a structure.

The question remains why BD companies/ engineers cannot do the same things. False snobbery could be one reason that they do not want to learn.

 

[bluesky]

Guys, please note that while all the trusses have spanned below the Zero level, only one truss spans above the Zero level at the middle span. The purpose is to allow navigation across this middle span.

British engineers did the truss design in Kalurghat and Hardinge Bridge. There are some other railway bridges with trusses designed and built by them. However, our engineers cannot design the same with steel.

Very unfortunate that we are unwilling or unable to learn from others. Now China comes, and design a truss bridge across the Padma.