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The government has undertaken a Tk 115.73 crore technical assistance project to introduce advanced bridge health monitoring technology and strengthen the maintenance and safety of bridges under the Roads and Highways Department (RHD).
Titled “Capacity Development for Smart Maintenance Technology of Bridges under Roads and Highways Department in Bangladesh”, the project will receive Tk 7.76 crore from the government, while the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) will provide Tk 107.97 crore, equivalent to US$8.85 million, as a grant.
The Road Transport and Highways Division under the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges is sponsoring the project, while the RHD will implement it from July 2026 to December 2029.
The main objective is to ensure the structural safety and durability of bridges by introducing an advanced Bridge Health Monitoring System, enabling the RHD to carry out timely and cost-effective bridge management and maintenance.
Under the project, detailed structural inspections will be conducted on three bridges to prepare repair and rehabilitation designs.
The selected bridges are the Kamar Khali Bridge on the Daulatdia-Faridpur (Goalchamot)-Magura-Jhenaidah-Jashore-Khulna-Mongla National Highway (N-7), the Demra Bridge on the Tarabo-Demra Road, and the Tora Bridge on the Dhaka (Mirpur)-Uthuli-Paturia-Natakhola-Kashinathpur-Bogura-Rangpur-Beldanga-Banglabandha National Highway (N-5).
Necessary repair and rehabilitation works on the three bridges will also be carried out on a pilot basis.
In addition, a Structural Health Monitoring System (SHMS) will be installed on the Madhumati Bridge, Kalna Bridge and Demra Bridge as part of a pilot initiative.
The project also envisages establishing an Integrated Bridge Maintenance Centre at the RHD to support coordinated and smart management of the country’s bridges.
According to the project proposal, four bridges were initially considered for piloting under the initiative. Three will eventually receive repair, rehabilitation and design support, while three will be equipped with smart structural health monitoring technology, with some bridges serving both purposes.
The use of smart monitoring technology is expected to enable authorities to detect structural problems at an early stage, allowing timely maintenance and helping extend the service life of bridges.
The project proposal was initially submitted to the Planning Commission with an estimated cost of Tk 107.97 crore, fully financed by KOICA, for implementation from January 2025 to December 2028.
Following observations from the Planning Commission and recommendations made at a Special Project Evaluation Committee (SPEC) meeting, the proposal was restructured. The revised project cost was set at Tk 115.73 crore, comprising Tk 7.76 crore in government funding and Tk 107.97 crore in KOICA grant assistance.
The implementation period was also revised to July 2026 to December 2029.
The SPEC meeting held at the Physical Infrastructure Division of the Planning Commission on July 3, 2026, recommended that the project be placed before the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for approval at the revised cost.
According to the proposal, the project is also expected to contribute to the government’s goal of establishing an integrated and smart management framework for the road transport system to improve discipline, safety and efficiency, as outlined in the third chapter of the Election Manifesto 2026.
The Economic Relations Division has already given its consent to the proposed foreign assistance from KOICA.