The last span of the Padma Bridge is likely to be installed on pillars 12 and 13 today linking both sides of the mighty Padma river as the country's people get closer to having their long-cherished dream come true.

The 41st span has already been taken near the pillars and is expected to be installed today unless dense fog creates major problems, project officials said.

"We hope to install the last span tomorrow [today]. The span has already been taken near the pillars," Belayet Hossain, executive director of Bangladesh Bridge Authority, the executing agency of the project, said.

"Installation of piers and spans had been the main challenge facing the project and is expected to be over. This is going to be a big achievement," Belayet, also the secretary of Bridges Division, told The Daily Star last night.

Implementation of the project was possible due to a courageous decision by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he added.

Replying to a question, Belayet said they were hopeful of completing the rest of the project works within 15 months, as the Covid-19 pandemic slowed down the pace of the works.

Once opened to traffic, the 6.15km-long bridge will connect the capital with 21 southwestern districts. It is expected to boost the country's gross domestic product by 1.2 percent.

Following the installation of the 40th span on December 4, discussions began about the installation of the last span. Road Transport and Bridges Minster Obaidul Quader on Monday said the last span would be installed by December 10.

The move to install the last span created much enthusiasm among the people as they are waiting with bated breath to see the completion of the span installation work.

The authorities, however, have cancelled their planned celebration of the installation of the last span due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Visiting the project site on Tuesday, this correspondent found the 150-metre-long span being shifted to a jetty from the shore in the morning. A national flag of Bangladesh was hanging from the frame of the huge steel structure.

"The dreamt Padma Bridge is now on the verge of becoming a reality with years-long efforts of the local and foreign workforce," read a festoon on the span.

The final span was also draped with several other festoons with a message written in a Chinese language.

Mamun, who has been working as a foreman of the project since 2015, said he had the privilege of watching the installation of the first span in September 2017.

"I was there when the first span was installed. Our national flag was there with the first span. Now the last span will also carry our national flag," he told this correspondent.

"When I started working here in 2015, there was no structure over the river. Now an entire bridge is going to be there. It gives me immense pleasure," Mamun said.

Although there was fog on the river yesterday, the span was taken near pillars 12 and 13 around 5:45pm, Dewan Md Abdul Kader, executive engineer and project manager (main bridge), told this correspondent.

"We have a plan to install the last span tomorrow [today] unless fog creates any problem," Project Director Shafiqul Islam told The Daily Star.

Railway and roadway slabs are being installed now and some others works, including installation of electricity and gas lines, have to be completed before the opening of the bridge to traffic.

Out of 2,917 roadway slabs, around 1,300 were installed till Tuesday while 1,930 out of 2,959 railway slabs were installed, officials said.

The current deadline of the fast-track project is June 2021, meaning the project is likely to see another extension of its deadline. The project cost rose to Tk 30,193 crore after several revisions of the deadline.

The Pamda Bridge project is being implemented with the country's own funds after the World Bank and other international lenders had cancelled financing over allegations of corruption, which were later found to be not true.