Construction of the much-awaited Sonahat Bridge over the Dudhkumar River in Bhurungamari upazila of Kurigram has remained incomplete even after seven years, with the project stalled over a land acquisition dispute despite six extensions and an increase in the project cost to Tk 141 crore.

As a result, thousands of people from six local unions, along with heavy vehicles carrying goods to and from Sonahat Land Port, are being forced to use a dilapidated railway bridge built in 1887, putting their lives at serious risk.

According to the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) and the contractor, around 75 percent of the main structure of the 645-metre bridge has been completed.

Fourteen slabs, 70 girders and 14 spans of the bridge have already been constructed, while nearly one kilometre of the approach road at the western end has also been completed.

However, construction of around 280 metres of approach road at the eastern end remains stalled due to a dispute over the land between Bangladesh Railway and local residents, holding up the land acquisition process.

According to project documents, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the Sonahat Bridge project in 2018 at an estimated cost of Tk 136.33 crore.

The project cost was later increased to around Tk 141 crore.

The joint venture of MM Builders and Engineers Ltd and National Development Engineers Ltd (JV) was awarded the contract.

Work began on July 22, 2019, and was scheduled to be completed by January 22, 2021. However, the project could not be completed within the deadline due to design flaws, rising prices of construction materials, slow progress by the contractor and land-related complications.

Shamim Reza, manager of the contractor, said an inter-ministerial meeting was recently held to resolve the land dispute involving the 280-metre eastern approach road, but no final solution has yet been reached.

Meanwhile, with no alternative route available, hundreds of vehicles, including trucks carrying stone and coal through Sonahat Land Port, are using the 139-year-old, single-lane and dilapidated railway bridge, every day.

This is causing frequent traffic congestion and creating a constant risk of accidents.

Ashraful Alam, a local auto-rickshaw driver, said, “As the deck of the old bridge is damaged, we have to wait for more than half an hour even under normal circumstances to cross it. The suffering doubles on market days.”

Local residents said the prolonged delay in completing the bridge has severely disrupted communication and trade and commerce in the border area.

Contacted, Mir Nizam Uddin Ahmed, executive engineer of the Kurigram RHD, told UNB that around 75 percent work on bridge has been completed.

“If the land acquisition-related complications can be resolved, we plan to complete the remaining work quickly and open the bridge to traffic by June next,” he said.