Karnaphuli River: 50pc work of Bangabandhu Tunnel completed

At least fifty percent construction work of the much-awaited Bangabandhu Tunnel under the Karnaphuli river has been completed, said an official.

Two tubes, stretching 2,450m each, are being constructed in the tunnel, and construction work of 1,220m of Anowara upazila-bound tube has already been completed, project director Harunur Rashid Chowdhury told the news agency on Tuesday.

He hoped that the installations of rings in these tubes will be finished by next May or June, if favourable weather prevails and no natural calamities take place. The two tubes comprise four lanes and each one is 35 feet wide and 16 feet high.

The project is expected to be completed by 2022. Acquisition of 383 acres of land has already been completed for the tunnel’s approach roads.

Bangladesh Bridge Authority is constructing the country’s first-ever four-lane 3.5km tunnel under the river, with an approach road of 4.89km alongside 740m of bridge linking the port city with the southern regions of Chattogram.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chinese President Xi Jinping laid the foundation stone of the tunnel on October 14, 2017. The PM inaugurated the tunnel’s boring work early this year.

While inaugurating the work, Hasina said, “The construction of this tunnel will be completed by 2022 ... after which the socio-economic development of the region will accelerate significantly, which will contribute a lot to the country’s economy.”

She said this while addressing a civic rally at Patenga Ring Road after inaugurating the boring of the tunnel and construction of a 16.5km elevated expressway on February 24.

The estimated cost of the tunnel is Tk 9,880 crore, out of which Exim Bank of China will provide Tk 5,913 crore. “China Communication Construction Company Ltd” (CCCC) has been appointed the consultant for construction of the tunnel.

The multilane tunnel route will pass through the river close to Navy College on one side and Korean Export Processing Zone (KEPZ) and Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company (KAFCO) on the other side.

The tunnel will connect Chattogram Port and Anowara upazila and is expected to make communications between Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar easier and reduce gridlocks on two bridges over the river.