Crore-taka bridge on ‘Life Support’ within two decades

The 294-meter-long “Asambasti Bridge” was built in 2006 to connect Asambasti with Khagrachari Para and Kaptai in Rangamati. Before even completing two decades of service, the bridge—constructed at a cost of several crores of taka—is now virtually on “life support.” Stones have come loose from all 19 pairs of pillars and their bases. Even slight pressure on the pillars causes stones to crumble, and in some places rusted steel rods are visible where the concrete has fallen away. To extend the bridge’s lifespan, the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) is making a final effort through retrofitting work.

Hundreds of students of the Science and Technology University and thousands of tourists travel daily along the Asambasti–Kaptai road in Rangamati town. The route also plays an important role in boosting the local economy. Yet the pillars of this crucial bridge are now shedding concrete at the slightest touch. Looking at the deteriorated condition of the pillars, it is hard to believe the bridge is only about two decades old. To address the risk, retrofitting and repair work worth Tk 18 million is currently underway.

Local residents say that if the contractor had ensured quality construction and proper monitoring had been carried out, such a waste of public money within just 20 years would not have occurred. They argue that LGED is now spending another Tk 18 million merely to extend the bridge’s lifespan.

Rangamati Press Club President Md. Anwarul Haque said that an ordinary bridge generally remains in good condition for 50 to 60 years. “This bridge has reached such a miserable state in only 20 years—who is responsible? Was any investigation conducted before starting the repair work? Will those responsible be brought to justice?” he asked.

Md. Omar Faruk, president of the Rangamati Anti-Corruption Committee, said that spending such a large amount of public money in the name of retrofitting after only two decades is nothing but a waste of state resources. He added that if quality materials had been ensured during construction and proper monitoring had been maintained, the government would not have had to spend so much on repairs.

Construction of the bridge began in 2003, and it was opened to traffic in 2006. However, LGED could not provide information about the original construction cost.

Rangamati Sadar Upazila Engineer Pronob Roy Chowdhury said that such severe problems are not expected to appear so quickly in a structure of this scale. “Nevertheless, once the problem came to our attention, we immediately took steps to make the bridge safe,” he said.

Rangamati LGED Executive Engineer Ahmed Shafi said that climate change is causing structures to deteriorate much faster than before. He also noted that the design may not have taken permanent casing into account. “It is difficult to blame any single individual,” he said.

He further explained that the bridge remains submerged in the waters of Kaptai Lake for about nine months each year, which is the main cause of the deterioration. However, while constructing a new bridge would require around Tk 800 million, the modern retrofitting method costing less than Tk 20 million is expected to extend the bridge’s lifespan by another 30 to 40 years.