The Japanese contractors working on the megaproject Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge (BSMRB) in Bangladesh have approved a local steel fabricator as a supplier.
The western part of the bridge has been contracted to Japanese corporations IHI and SMCC; while the eastern half is contracted to Obayashi Corporation, TOA Corporation and JFE.
McDonald Steel Building Products Limited, based in Dhaka, with plants in Gazipur and Chattogram, has supplied steel prefabs for two of the bridge spans. Previously steel prefab structures for the bridge have been imported from Vietnam.
Construction started on the BSMRB in October 2020 (link opens in new tab). The dual-gauge double-track railway bridge that crosses the Jamuna river is due for completion in 2025. It is 4.8km long and links the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka with the country’s north-east. It is a badly needed update to the country’s rail network that will link it up to international transport networks and increase capacity.
