The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The foundation stone of a bridge over Gulshan-Banani Lake was laid in the city yesterday.

The bridge over the lake will connect the two posh residential areas in the capital.

The LGRD and Cooperatives Adviser Anwarul Iqbal laid the foundation stone of the 90-metre long and 16-metre wide bridge, which will connect Road No 11 of Banani and Road No 41 of Gulshan.

The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) will construct the bridge at a cost of Tk 12.47 crore to be financed by the government.

Ehsan Khan, consultant and designer of the project, said, "The construction of the bridge will be completed in two years. We have already started our works and brought equipment and other necessary things to the project site to start the construction work of the bridge."

The Road No 11 of Banani that links the Airport Road in the west and ends on the Gulshan-Banani Lake in the east is a high traffic-concentration street while the Road No 41 of Gulshan connects Gulshan Circle-1 and 2, said an official of the LGED.

The bridge near Gulshan Shooting Club will also be reconstructed and the design will be same to the planned one. The bridge will have walkways. Abdul Monem Ltd was given the work order of the project on September 11, he added.

LGRD Adviser said, "As traffic in Gulshan and Banani areas will increase significantly on completion of the bridge, it has to be ensured, as per the project, that the residential image of the areas are maintained strictly."

Ehsan Khan said, "There is also a plan to construct another road between Gulshan Road No 34 and Banani Chairmanbari that will link the Mohakhali. The LGRD Adviser has already asked Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha (RAJUK) to conduct a feasibility study on the project."

The planned road would reduce traffic congestion in Gulshan and Banani areas and it would also reduce dependency of the Gulshan residents on the main thoroughfare to enter and exit from the area, he added.