The government has taken a Tk115.73 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).

Of the total estimated cost, the project, titled “Capacity Development for Smart Maintenance Technology of Bridges under Roads and Highways Department in Bangladesh,” Tk7.76 crore will come from the government, while Tk107.97 crore, equivalent to US$8.85 million, will be provided as a grant by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

The Road Transport and Highways Division under the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges is the sponsoring division, while the RHD will implement the project by December 2029.

The main objective is to ensure the structural safety and durability of bridges through an advanced Bridge Health Monitoring System, while 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 designs for their repair and rehabilitation.

The 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).

The project will also undertake necessary repair and rehabilitation works on the three selected bridges on a pilot basis.

In addition, a Structural Health Monitoring System (SHMS) will be installed on the Madhumati Bridge, Kalna Bridge and Demra Bridge on a pilot basis.

The project also envisages establishing an Integrated Bridge Maintenance Centre at the RHD to support coordinated and smart management of bridges.

According to the project background, four bridges were initially proposed for piloting under the initiative.

Three bridges will eventually receive repair, monitoring and design support, while three bridges will be equipped with smart health monitoring technology, with some bridges serving both purposes.

The use of smart monitoring technology is expected to help identify structural problems in bridges at an early stage, allowing authorities to undertake timely maintenance and thereby extend the service life of the structures.

The project proposal was initially sent to the Planning Commission with an estimated cost of Tk107.97 crore, fully financed by KOICA, for implementation from January 2025 to December 2028.

Following observations by the Planning Commission and recommendations made at a Special Project Evaluation Committee (SPEC) meeting, the proposal was restructured, increasing the total estimated cost to Tk115.73 crore with Tk7.76 crore in government funding and Tk107.97 crore in KOICA grant assistance.

The implementation period was subsequently 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 the project for approval by the ECNEC at the revised cost.

The project is also expected to contribute to the government’s target of establishing an integrated and smart management framework in the road transport system to improve discipline, safety and efficiency, as outlined in the third chapter of the Election Manifesto 2026, according to the proposal.

The Economic Relations Division has already provided its consent regarding the foreign assistance from KOICA.