Construction of 3.4km tunnel in Chittagong to conclude in September 2023
The project comprises two tubes 10.7m wide and 4.9m high, with an approach road of 5.4km and a 740m bridge
A 3.4km road tunnel under the Karnaphuli river in the port city of Chittagong in Bangladesh is nearing completion, following four years of construction works. The project was officially launched by Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chinese President Xi Jinping in October 2016, with work on the tunnel beginning in March 2019.
According to a report by the Dhaka Tribune, the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel, the first of its kind in South Asia, is being built by China Communications. Its US $930mn cost is being financed by a concessional $540mn loan from the Export–Import Bank of China.
The project comprises two tubes 10.7m wide and 4.9m high stretching 3.4km, with an approach road of 5.4km and a 740m bridge linking the main city on the west with the rapidly industrialising east, the report noted.
Once completed in September, it will connect the proposed Asian Highway, which will run along the coast of Bangladesh, with the motorway that connects Dhaka, Chittagong and the southern port of Cox’s Bazar. It will also reduce the travelling distance between Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar by 40km.
According to Project Director Harunur Rashid Chowdhury, “99.5% of the main tunnel is complete and the overall progress of the project construction work is 97.5%. Now finishing touches are under way to ensure safety and security”.
Mahbubul Alam, President of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce added that the tunnel would unlock a new epoch in the history of the communication systems in the region. He added, “Once the tunnel is opened, it will be a game changer for the southeast region of Bangladesh and will present a solution to connectivity issues to the rest of the country.”
The tunnel will also ease traffic congestion on two bridges, including Shah Amanat Bridge, over the Karnaphuli River, the report concluded.
