AGARTALA, May 17 (TIWN): Framing of Direct Project Report (DPR) for the proposed bridge over Feni river in southern Tripura to get access to the Chittagong international sea port in Bangladesh for carrying goods and heavy machineries for the land-locked northeastern region has started with the joint survey team of India and Bangladesh conducting land survey. According to the sources of State PWD department, the preface work for constructing the proposed bridge over River Feni has been started from May 7. Joint team of both the country has started survey work along the international pillar number 2215 to 105. Besides, the survey team has also been learnt conducting survey whether any families needs to be evacuated during the construction work, said sources of PWD. With the length of 252 ft. and breadth of 35 ft. the brodge would be constructed over river Feni.The Direct Project Report (DPR) of the construction work of the four lane bridge over the River Feni in Tripura that would connect the state's South district with Chittagong division in Bangladesh was waiting for the clearance from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.Earlier this year PWD Engineer in chief Sunil Bhowmik said that at least three alternative bridge designs has also been made.

 However, “we are now awaiting for the formal permission of the nodal agency”, said Bhowmik.  

It is mentionable here that the decision to construct the bridge with four-lane facilities was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS).The bridge will be 150 metres long and will be constructed at a cost of Rs 73 crore. Tripura has been lobbying for the bridge since 2005.

The Feni bridge is expected to draw a significant segment of the proposed economic corridor through India, Bangladeshi, China and Myanmar. The final decision was reported to have kept provisions for construction of a 15 Mt wide four-lane bridge with four-lane approach roads on both sides, 1.5 Mt wide footpath on both sides for smooth traffic movement including other state-of-art facilities.

The proposed bridge would connect Sabroom town of southern Tripura with Ramgarh town of southeastern Bangladesh. Besides construction of the bridge, various others tourism- related amenities and infrastructure would also be constructed in and around the area, 135 km south of Tripura capital Agartala.