Payra Bridge

Payra Bridge is a road bridge across the Burishwar River. It connects Barisal and Patuakhali, linking the southwest of the country to the northern regions.

Payra Bridge পায়রা সেতু
Coordinates	22.4641012°N 90.3412547°E / 22.4641012; 90.3412547
Carries	Motor vehicles
Crosses	Payra River
Locale	Patuakhali, Bangladesh
Other name(s)	Lebukhali Bridge
Characteristics
Design	Extradosed bridge
Material	Concrete, steel, rope
Total length	1,470 metres (4,820 ft)
Width	19.76 metres (64.8 ft)
Height	18.30 metres (60.0 ft)
Longest span	200 metres (660 ft)
History
Construction start	July 24, 2016 (2016-07-24)
Construction end	October 2021 (2021-10)
Opened	October 28, 2021 (2021-10-28)
Location

History

A student from Patuakhali wrote a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina requesting to build a bridge over the river on which the bridge is located. After reading the letter, the Prime Minister assured to build the bridge.^[1] In 2012, the Department of Roads and Highways adopted a plan to build the Payra Bridge. At that time its construction cost was estimated at Tk 4.58 billion. The bridge is funded by Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development and OPEC Fund for International Development. On March 13, 2013, Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone of the bridge.^[2] Two years later, the budget for the bridge was doubled by revising the project. One year later, on July 24, the Longjian Road and Bridge Company was commissioned to build the bridge. In 2018, the construction work was delayed due to an error in the design of the bridge. However, in 2019,^[3] the final construction cost of the bridge was fixed at Tk 14.46 billion and the design of the bridge was changed.^[4] The four-lane bridge was scheduled to be completed in June 2020.^[5] But due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the work could not be completed on time. Later, the completion date was postponed to June 2022.^[6] The bridge was inaugurated on 28 October 2021.^[2]

Specifications

Payra Bridge is one of the first bridges in Bangladesh to have a bridge health monitoring system. The length of the bridge is 1.48 km. The bridge has been constructed at a height of 18.3 meters above the water level to facilitate navigation. Not more than one pillar of this bridge has been placed in the river.^[2]

Usage and benefits

Kuakata Beach is easily accessible from the bridge. Besides, this bridge connects Port of Payra with Dhaka.^[7]

References

1. "প্রধানমন্ত্রী প্রতিশ্রুত পায়রা সেতু নির্মাণের প্রক্রিয়া শুরু". Janakantha (in Bengali). 4 November 2016.
2. "PM opens Payra Bridge to traffic". The Business Standard. 24 October 2021. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
3. "Toll rate for Payra Bridge fixed". New Age. 26 March 2021.
4. "Payra bridge that establishes road connectivity with South opens today". The Financial Express. 24 October 2021. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
5. Basu, Rajib (20 January 2019). "Payra Bridge halfway into completion". Bangla Tribune. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
6. Tuhin Shubhra Adhikary (16 September 2021). "Payra Bridge: Cost 3.5 times the original estimate". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 17 September 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
7. M Jahirul Islam Jewel (4 July 2021). "Lebukhali bridge to boost trade in Patuakhali, connecting Kuakata, Payra". The Business Standard. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.

External links

• Media related to Payra Bridge at Wikimedia Commons