Design and construction of the Bangladesh–UK Friendship Bridge

The Bangladesh–UK Friendship Bridge crosses the River Meghna in the north east of the country. The Meghna is the third largest river in Bangladesh. Further south it joins the Padma on its way to the Bay of Bengal. The main spans of the bridge—known as Bhairab Bridge during the design and construction period—are in total 929 m long, formed from multiple 110 m span prestressed concrete box girders supported on large-diameter bored pile foundations. There is an approach viaduct and highway on an embankment each side of the main structure, together with extensive river training works. The project was planned, designed and constructed using British technical expertise and was partly funded by the UK Government through the Department for International Development (DFID). This paper outlines the project history, engineering studies, design and construction. Of particular technical significance are the innovative solutions adopted to build this bridge in deep water.