Bangladesh on Sunday inaugurated a new bridge that connects parts of the country’s northern and southern regions by road for the first time in its history.
The Payra Bridge in Lebukhali area gives commuters another option apart from ferries to cross the Payra River and connects the capital Dhaka to the beach town of Kuakata.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who opened the four-lane bridge in a ceremony she attended virtually, hailed the project as a landmark in Bangladesh’s efforts to boost road connectivity, particularly with the south, and said it will accelerate development and progress nationwide.
The bridge has been built a cost of nearly $170 million that was jointly financed by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development and the OPEC Fund for International Development.
Built by a Chinese firm, the bridge has another first for Bangladesh – a “health monitor” system that, according to officials, will issue advance alerts for natural disasters such as storms and earthquakes.
