96% of Bangabandhu tunnel completed

Ninety-six percent of much-awaited Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel, the first under-river tunnel in South Asia, has been completed.

Besides, construction work of the approach road has already been completed, Project Director of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel Md Harunur Rashid said today.

He said construction works of the cross passage and tunnel related to the toll plaza is also nearing completion.

"Mechanical, electrical and civil works of the tunnel is going on and other related work is also at final stage," Rashid said, with a hope that the construction works of the tunnel will be completed within the stipulated time.

According to the project, two tubes having 35 feet wide, and 16 feet high have been constructed within an 11-metre gap so that heavy vehicles can pass through the tunnel easily.

The length of the under-construction tunnel will be 3.40 kilometres with an approach road of 5.35 kilometres alongside a 727-metre bridge linking the main city, port and Western side of the river with its eastern side.

Bangabandhu's daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the construction work of the first tunnel tube on February 24, 2019. On October 14, 2016, the premier and Chinese President Xi Jinping jointly laid the foundation stone of the Karnaphuli tunnel.

The tunnel will connect the proposed Asian Highway to Dhaka-Chattogram-Cox's Bazar Highway and will reduce the distance from Chattogram to Cox's Bazar by 40-km. Vehicles in this tunnel will run at a speed of 80-km per hour, according to the project details.

Bangabandhu Tunnel is being built at a cost of Tk 10,374 crore jointly funded by the governments of Bangladesh and China.