Comprehensive bridge asset management in LGED

Abstract

The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) is committed to enhancing the quality of life in rural Bangladesh by developing and maintaining critical infrastructure. As one of the country’s largest public-sector engineering organizations, LGED oversees an extensive network of approximately 335,000 bridges spanning 1,700,000 meters, ensuring improved access to essential services, markets, and economic opportunities. To optimize financial planning, maintenance, and long-term sustainability, LGED has introduced a Bridge Asset Management System (BAMS). The Bridge Asset Management Plan (BAMP) provides a structured framework for managing LGED’s bridge assets throughout their lifecycle, covering planning, acquisition, operation, maintenance, rehabilitation, and decommissioning. The plan aims to enhance rural-urban connectivity, support economic growth, create employment, and reduce poverty by ensuring a well-maintained and efficient bridge network. Since its inception in the 1960s under the Rural Works Program, LGED has progressively expanded its infrastructure initiatives. By the 1990s, it began systematically managing bridge assets, yet funding limitations led to a growing maintenance backlog. To address this, LGED launched a targeted maintenance program in 2018, with support from the World Bank and the Government of Bangladesh, ensuring strategic rehabilitation and upkeep of bridges based on actual maintenance needs. A data-driven, systematic approach underpins LGED’s bridge asset management strategy. High-quality asset data enables precise monitoring, lifespan assessment, service level development, and targeted maintenance planning. By integrating modern inspection methods and trend analysis, LGED optimizes resource allocation, mitigates risks, and enhances infrastructure resilience. Through BAMS and BAMP, LGED is strengthening Bangladesh’s transportation network, fostering socio-economic development, and aligning national growth objectives with community needs. This initiative ensures that rural and urban populations benefit from a safe, reliable, and sustainable bridge infrastructure, supporting long-term national progress.