Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said all 41 spans of the much-awaited Padma bridge will be installed by July 2020 if there is no natural disaster.

“The 20th span of the bridge will be installed tomorrow. later, three spans will be installed in every month,” he said.

Quader, also general secretary of Awami League, was talking to reporters after a meeting with Japanese ambassador at Setu Bhaban in Dhaka.

“We hope, we will be able to install all 41 the spans of Padma bridge by July 2020 if we do not face any natural disaster,” he said.

Quader said, “our target was that the plying of vehicles on the Padma bridge would begin by June 2021. But now we expect that it might be possible to do so before June 2021 if we do not face any  natural disaster.”

On December 18, the 19th span of the Padma Bridge was placed between the 21th and the 22th pillars at the Jajira point of the bridge. With this installation, 2.85-km of the mega structure has now been visible.

The construction work of the long-cherished Padma bridge started in December, 2015 and the first span (superstructure) was installed on September 30, 2017.

The length of the double-deck Padma bridge is 6.15 kilometres. The trains will run through the lower deck while the road will be on the upper level of the bridge.

When the construction of the bridge is completed, the capital will be directly connected with 21 southern districts through road and railways.

The construction of main Padma bridge is going by China company Major Bridge Engineering Co Ltd while the works of river training is going on by Sino Hydro Corporation of the same country.