Awami League general secretary and Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader inspecting the tunnel construction work at Patenga in Chattogram on Saturday — Focus Bangla CHATTOGRAM, Aug 25: The machine boring of the Karnaphuli tunnel is expected to start by the end of October this year, said project officials.
They said this to the media this noon as the Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader inspected the progress of work at the site of the tunnel at Patenga in the city.
The minister said 24 per cent of the project works had been completed which include the project shed construction and site development works.
He said that the tunnel boring machine has reached the Chattogram Port from China and preparatory works for boring under the river is now going on.
Boring works will start by the end of October 2018, said the minister informing
that the countdown of the project implementation started on December 05, 2017.
Deputy Project Director (admin) of the Karnaphuli Tunnel Dr Anupam Saha told the media at the project site today that the one-city-two-towns model tunnel is being constructed as per model of the Shanghai Tunnel of China.
It will be a two-tube tunnel to connect the west bank of the Karnaphuli River at Patenga with the east bank at Anwara upazila which houses the thriving exclusive economic and industrial zone, already operational Korean Export Processing Zone, state-run Chittagong Urea Fertilizer plant, multinational fertilizer plant KAFCO and many other projects.
The tunnel aims at increasing connectivity and will boost the city's overall transportation network linking up the south bank of the river where new industries are flourishing, the DPD said.
The four-lane tunnel will also connect the Asian Highway network through the country's southeast region, he said.
The length of the main tunnel will be 3.4 kilometres comprising both the tunnels while the length of the approach roads in the east and west ends will be 5.35 kilometres.
A 727-meter-long over-bridge will be constructed to connect Anwara upazila with the city. As planned, the Anwara upazila will grow up to the industrial town once the tunnel construction is completed.
Estimated cost of the tunnel is $ 1055.83 million (Tk 84.4664 billion), of which China is pledged to provide $ 705.80 million in 100 per cent construction cost of the original tunnel.
The Bangladesh government will provide $ 350 million, as per agreement signed between the two governments.
Mr Saha said 232 acres of land have already been handed over to China Communication and Construction Co Ltd. The China firm is working as contractor of the project.
A total of 383 acres of land requires to be acquired for the project on both ends of the river. The acquisition process is nearing completion, he said.
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