The Jamuna River, which flows north-south through the central part of Bangladesh, is spanned by the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge, which is a combined railway and road bridge. However, the railway section of this bridge was single-track and subject to speed restrictions, causing transport delays and creating a bottleneck in logistics. Therefore, a new Jamuna Rail bridge (dedicated to railway, double-track with three-rail system for broad gauge and narrow gauge) was constructed 300 meters upstream of the existing Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge. This new bridge was built to meet railway transportation demand, improve safety, and enhance the efficiency of the transportation network within Bangladesh and with neighboring countries. This project, funded by JICA’s Loan Aid, was divided into two (2)  construction packages, east and west. We were responsible for the construction of the 6.8 km stretch on the east side.

　In the design, construction technologies with no recent track record in Japan was adopted. We deployed numerous Japanese engineers, thoroughly instructing and managing local staff and sub-contractors to introduce a high-quality infrastructure system and transfer the technology.

　The project faced numerous challenges: at the initial stage of the project, establishing the site without Japanese staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, difficulties of procuring materials from overseas, major design changes requested by the Employer midway through the project, and near the project completion, nationwide turmoil caused by riots which lead to a change in the government. Overcoming such challenges and with all site staff united toward a common goal, the project was completed successfully without any major accidents and within the contract period.