Shah Amanat Bridge

The US$45 million (£29 million) Shah Amanat bridge (previously known as the Third Karnaphuli bridge) is a 950m long bridge comprising three 200m extradosed main river spans, two 115m side spans and a 130m approach viaduct section spanning the Karnaphuli River in Chittagong, the second largest city in Bangladesh.

Rendel was appointed by the China Major Bridge Engineering Company (MBEC) to design the bridge, incorporating innovative design techniques and using the latest software, particularly in relation to the cable supported structure and seismic design. We completed the detailed design, supervised the critical aspects of ground investigation and had ongoing involvement on site in providing technical advice during construction.

The prestressed concrete box girder deck was constructed by the balanced cantilever technique. Seismic devices were provided at each of the four piers to transfer loads from deck into the substructure. The crossing carries two full lanes (3.65m wide) and two narrow (1.65m wide) lanes of traffic on each carriageway as well as providing access for pedestrians.

The bridge was officially opened on 8 September 2010 and was shortlisted for that year’s BCI International Project of the Year 2010 Award.