The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) approved a $260 million loan for an arch steel bridge, the first-of-its-kind in Bangladesh, according to an official statement on Tuesday.
Emerging technology in Bangladesh bridge construction will be strategically important for the local and regional connectivity being part of Dhaka-Mymensingh-India border corridor, and will ease congestion in northern Mymensingh City, it said.
In the construction of the bridge, the latest advances in technology will be used to improve safety and promote the early detection of structural damage.
The Kewatkhali Bridge, once completed, “over 11 million people in Bangladesh’s northern region will benefit from increased mobility and integration of local and regional markets. The bridge will also shorten the travel time for people and vehicles and contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions.”
“As in other river delta environments, bridges play a strategic role in Bangladesh’s transport network. AIIB considers the financing of the Kewatkhali Bridge at Mymensingh an opportunity to use the latest technology in bridge maintenance and management to improve its structural performance, service life and the safety of the bridge for residents and motorists,” said Natalia Sanz, the bank's senior investment operations specialist.
The project includes a proposed Bridge Health Monitoring System, which, Sanz explains, will be used to provide early warnings of structural issues in the main bridge.
Data on load and environmental effects, as well as the bridge responses, will be captured in real-time and interfaced with a bridge rating system, allowing for more efficient monitoring and will help in formulating a systematic approach to periodic inspection.
Bangladesh being a riverine country of hundreds of rivers connectivity through bridges is among the major links in local and regional connectivity including with India.
