Ecnec to okay 3.4km two-lane project in Bangladesh today

Construction cost of a two-lane tunnel under the Karnaphuli river has been estimated at Tk 8,447 crore, 57 percent of which will come from the Chinese Exim Bank.

The project proposal is scheduled to be placed at today's meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), setting a deadline of 2020.

According to the proposal, the 3.4-kilometre two-lane tunnel will be built under the river in Chittagong.

The tunnel, which will be the first-of-its-kind in Bangladesh, would improve the Dhaka-Chittagong-Cox's Bazar road network. It can later be linked to the planned Asian Highway network, enabling road links with Myanmar and India.

The tunnel would also attract population in the east side and promote “One City and Two Towns” development model adopted by Shanghai, the largest city in China.

The tunnel would significantly facilitate transit traffic, relieve the existing bridges of traffic pressure and promote regional economic growth, according to a government study.

It would also provide convenient transport conditions for the planned deep seaport.

Besides the tunnel, the project has a 4.89-km approach road and an 800-metre bridge for construction.

Apart from these, 62.82 hectares of land would be acquired for the project.

A sum of Tk 3,647 crore would be required for land acquisition and rehabilitation for the tunnel. This sum would be provided from the government's own fund.

During the prime minister's visit to China in June last year, an agreement was signed between the two countries' communications ministries regarding this project.

China would provide Tk 4,799 crore equivalent of $705 million for the project with a low interest rate of 2 percent.

However, as per the condition of the Chinese loan, a company selected by the Chinese government will construct the tunnel.

The Chinese government has nominated China Communication Construction Company for the construction.

An official of the planning ministry said the proposal would be sent to the cabinet committee on purchase within a couple of weeks of its approval by the ECNEC.

Once the purchase committee gives its nod, a commercial contract will be signed with the Chinese company after which the construction will start.

A Bridges Division official said they had set a target to complete the construction by December 2020 and the government was trying to get the tunnel inaugurated by the Chinese prime minister.

The cost of building the Karnaphuli tunnel per kilometre would be $103.67 million, according to the proposal sent in by China Communication in February, which was pored over by three independent consultants, said the Bridges Division.

Canada's Ottawa Tunnel cost $143.50 million per kilometre, Japan's Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line $361 million and China's Yantai-Dalian Tunnel $146 million.