Padma Bridge to have weight scales by December

The authorities are going to set up advanced electronic sensor-controlled weighing machines on both the Mawa and Janjira ends of the Padma Bridge to prevent overloaded vehicles from crossing the bridge.

People concerned said the primary infrastructural works to set up the weighing machines have already been completed.

Now, the works to install the weighing machines will start from this month which will be inaugurated at the end of this year.

After that, every cargo vehicle will have to cross the bridge after being weighed, they said.

This type of weight scale is being installed for the first time in the country for which vehicles would not need to be stopped to measure their weight. 

The electronic sensors of the machine would measure the weight instantly once the vehicle is in its proximity. 

The information  will be collected and sent to the main server with the help of electronic sensors.

A Seoul-based company Korean Expressway will install six weight scales, three each on the both ends of the bridge.

Although vehicles with a maximum weight of 27 tonnes are said to be permitted to move on the bridge, currently, there is no measurement system installed in it.

The much-anticipated bridge has been opened for vehicle movement since 25 June this year.

According to the Bangladesh Bridge Authority, the contractor company for installing the infrastructures is Property Development Limited which has already completed constructing two stockyards on the both ends of the bridge.

Besides, two driver sheds and eight guard posts have been constructed at both ends of the bridge.

As per officials, after measuring the weight, cargo vehicles loaded with goods within a weight up to the limit of 27 tonnes will be allowed to cross the bridge through the green zone. 

However, vehicles weighing more than 27 tonnes will have to go through the red zone to the stock yards.

The heavier vehicles could be parked in the stockyard for 72 hours. 

However, extra products could be stored in the stockyard for seven days.

As per the bridge authority, it took around eight months to complete the infrastructural works at a cost of Tk53 crore.

Md Ashrafuzzaman, project engineer of Property Development Limited, said, "The construction work of the stockyard has been completed. Cargo vehicles weighing more than 27 tonnes will be unloaded at the stockyard. Extra goods dropped in the yard must be collected within the next seven days."

Syed Rajab Ali, executive engineer (connecting roads) of the Padma Bridge project, said, "Korean Expressway, the company which is engaged in the toll collection work of the Padma Bridge, will install the l scales. For this, construction work is going on in front of the toll plazas on both ends of the bridge." 

"The scales will be brought from Korea. Hopefully by next December, after the installation of the scale, the weighing of the vehicles on the bridge can be started," he added.