Jamuna Bridge

concluded

In August of 2003, the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge Authority (JMBA) awarded a new five-year mangement contract for the Jamuna Bridge to Marga Net One Ltd, a joint venture of Pt Jasa Marga of Indonesia and Net One Ltd of Bangladesh, who were to become the bridge's second operators. Bangabandhu Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge opened in June 1998 and was the longest bridge in Bangladesh as well as in South Asia, and the 11th longest bridge in the world. The initial management contract for the 4.8 km bridge, which was awarded to JOMAC (a consortium headed by Intertoll Group of South Africa), expired on July 19, 2003, but was extended for another eight months that ended April 1, 2004. The new tender for operation and maintenance of the bridge was valued at Rp78 billion (US$9.5 million) over the five years. The bridge was constructed over the River Jamuna, mightiest of the three major rivers of Bangladesh, and fifth largest in the world in terms of volumetric discharge. The bridge established a strategic link between the eastern and western parts of Bangladesh. The bridge was constructed at a cost of US$962 million. The cost of construction was shared by IDA, ADB, OECF of Japan, and the government of Bangladesh. The contract concluded in 2009, and as of the end of that year, had not been reawarded.