Rendel appointed on the most challenging construction project in Bangladesh history

London, United Kingdom – International project consultancy firm Rendel - in association with BCL Associates Ltd (BCL) of Bangladesh, PADECO Co. Ltd, Japan and Katahira & Engineers International (KEI), Japan - has signed an agreement with the Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) to provide Management Support Consultancy (MSC) Services on the US$ 2.9 billion Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project (PMBP).

PMBP will not only be the largest bridge in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river basins but is also believed to be the most challenging construction project in Bangladeshi history. It will be located approximately 40 kilometres south west of Dhaka and is being built to connect the south-western region to the rest of Bangladesh to encourage and facilitate economic growth through the transport of people, goods, natural gas and telecommunications.

Funded by the Government of Bangladesh, PDMP will be a two-level, steel truss bridge with a four-lane highway on the upper level and provisions for a single track railway on the lower level. The upper and lower levels will act compositely with a reinforced concrete deck slab. The bridge will have a total length of 6.15 kilometres and a width of 22 metres at upper deck level. As well as rail and road, the bridge will carry utilities including high pressure gas pipe and telecommunication lines.

In addition to the construction of the bridge itself, there will be an elaborate system of associated road constructions including two toll plazas and bridge end facilities, a 13.6 kilometre, four-lane, dual carriageway approach road, culverts, small bridges, underpasses, service roads and service areas for residential accommodation. Complex river bank protection/training works of 14 kilometres length will also be constructed. The social and environment impacts will be carefully managed via the implementation of a Resettlement Action Plan (RAP).

Rendel will be providing project management of the entire scheme including contractual and commercial advice; engineering and technical support and advice; budgetary and financial management; quality control and assurance; advising on dispute settlement; and the implementation of the social Safeguard Plans (environment, resettlement). The company will also be responsible for BBA staff and designing a programme for the social-economic aspects of the project. Rendel’s contract is for approximately three and a half years, from March 2016 until December 2019.

Keith Taylor, proposal director, who has led Rendel’s tender and the negotiation process on PMBP said, “This project is of major significance for Rendel and our partners which recognises the depth of experience and knowledge we have gained on major bridge and infrastructure projects globally and specifically within Bangladesh.”

He added, “Our combined British, Japanese and Bangladeshi team offers the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Bridge Authority a unique resource that has been committed to solving Bangladesh’s transport infrastructure needs for more than 25 years. Members of our integrated team completed the original Padma River Crossing Pre-feasibility Study in 2000.”