Chinese firm progressing with Padma Bridge project

Steel piling work on the $3.12 billion Padma Bridge project, a multipurpose road-rail bridge across the Padma River in Bangladesh, was completed recently and the bridge is expected to be opened by 2022, according to a Chinese contractor working on the project.

The milestone marks an important progress in the construction of the two-level steel truss bridge, as the construction was often challenged by severe weather conditions like storms. The soft riverbed filled with silt and sand also made the construction challenging as it had higher requirements for stability.

According to the Wuhan-based China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group Co Ltd, the bridge construction used some of the world's top-level equipment for hammering. The team also invented new technologies to increase steel pipes' carrying capacity, and designs to enhance the overall stability.