Underwater tunnel in Ctg gets going

A maiden underwater transport tunnel in Bangladesh, or in South Asia for that matter, formally opens today in Chattogram to establish unbroken road link ultimately running beyond borders.
Officials, builders and beneficiaries appear upbeat about the potential benefits of the Bangabandhu Tunnel, built underneath Karnaphuli river by Chinese engineers.
They say the communications tunnel in the port city opens another 'golden gate' of opportunities after the opening of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge across the mighty river to connect the country's south-southwest with the capital.
Both the communications megaprojects are implemented by Chinese construction companies-and both have the ultimate aim of setting up link with a UN agency-designated Asian Highway.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to ceremonially inaugurate the tunnel-billed as her another dream after the Padma Bridge, Dhaka metro rail, and elevated expressway.
Amid fanfare already in air all around the city-dotted with hills and rimmed with sea-the premier in a motorcade would drive through the tunnel in the afternoon to give the go.
The under-river roadway will, however, open to traffic tomorrow (Sunday) to run over a century unless any unforeseen halt for natural calamity.
The 9.39-kilometre river tunnel is believed to give a new height to the country's 22,000 kilometers of road network, 40,000 bridges, flyovers and expressways, enabling motorised vehicles to cross the Karnaphuli in three minutes at a speed of 60 kms per hour.
The four-lane tunnel--two lanes in each of the two tubes-- will connect the port city with Anwara with the concept of establishing 'one city, two towns' like the Chinese city of Shanghai.
Named after Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, this facility comes as an additional blessing for the people of Chattogram who are already blessed with the country's large seaport.
They all appeared excited to get the maiden tunnel within their territory as they have so far been connected by two bridges over the river flowing through the city into the Bay of Bengal.
Bangladesh Bridges Authority (BBA), the executing agency of the Tk 106.89-billion project, will go for commercial operation of the tunnel from 6am on Sunday to continue till end of its100-year lifespan, bar any emergency from natural disaster-related causes.
Bridges Secretary M Monjur Hossain told that FE that the tunnel will be kept round-the-clock open all days and 11 different kinds of vehicles can use it on payment according to respective toll rates.
"Except in emergency natural disasters, the tunnel-doors will not be closed," he said, adding that four floodgates located at all entry points of the tunnel will then be closed until warning signals are withdrawn.
He made it clear that tunnel will not be closed during normal rain, flood-like situation.
Motorcycles and auto-rickshaws are prohibited from using the river tunnel for security reasons, officials said.
Project Director Harunur Rashid claims that the tunnel was constructed with quality by maintaining international standards at all stages by using latest technology.
He also says international and local experts also played roles during the construction period by giving their opinions to resolve problems.
Panel of Experts Chairman Prof M Shamim Z Basunia echoed the same view, saying that due to resolving all challenges in time by engaging all experts, including the Chinese, the construction did not take a long time to complete.
"The cost is also much lower than the cost of constructing bridges," he said, adding that the tunnel costs US$700 million.
Mujibul Islam, the owner of a roadside shop, shared his excitement on Thursday as the tunnel is going to open now. "We all are excited that the first tunnel is in our city," he told the FE writer while selling ornamental items at Patenga beach side.
His enthusiasm centres around his business as the tunnel will increase the number of visitors and help his trade to increase.
The BSMR Tunnel connects the port city from 21km downstream of the Karnaphuli confluence with Anwara in front of Kafco Fertilizer factory.
While experiencing the crossing of the tunnel on Thursday in slow drive, the FE correspondent found it ready with decoration of lights and signs for vehicle movements and emergency exits.
The north and south tubes of tunnel are connected with two cross- passages at the entry points of both sides for use on emergency. Every few yards, sign with bright light to direct people to head towards the emergency-exit doors to go down of the tube.
Project official Raihanul Islam said over 60 emergency exits are set up for emergency purposes. The exits will take people down to the tube through a slide which is used in the emergency case in plane. People will then move either side of the entry points from that layer and get a lift to come out onto the ground.
The secretary said the tunnel has been equipped with all facilities to ensure safety and security. Eight systems have been installed and operated for this purposes.
The BBA under the Ministry of Roads and Bridges took the Karnaphuli river-tunnel-construction project after a feasibility study in 2013.
Chinese firm China Communication Construction Company limited (CCCC) proposed to construct the tunnel under government-to-government arrangement and a commercial contract was signed with BBA in June 2015.
The project was formally opened jointly by Chinese President Xi Jingping and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina when the Chinese leader visited Bangladesh on October 14, 2016.
However, the project took almost two years to start physical work due to delay in signing the loan agreement with Chinese EXIM Bank. The project's physical work commenced formally on December 05, 2017 with the target to complete in five years.
According to the revised development-project proposal, it will end on December 31 this year with defect liability period for two years.
Centering the inaugural of the tunnel, the port city has been decorated with gates and colourful flags under a security bulwark in and around entire areas.
Bridges Division officials said about 1200 guests are expected to attend a citizens' gathering to be organised at Korean EPZ in Anwara end.
The Prime Minister will unveil a plaque of the tunnel along with foundation stone for inaugurating few other projects from the same venue.
She will later address a public gathering on the spot. Some cabinet members, including Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader will be present on the occasion.
Meanwhile, the CCCC has also been appointed as operation and maintenance company with takeover of the charge from May this year.
For lack of BBA's capacity, the Chinese company has been awarded the O and M work as they know all aspects of the tunnel for building themselves, the PD said.
The BBA, which formed as the autonomous body in 1985 with the mandate to build bridges over 1.5 kms, gradually adds expressway, flyover, overpass and tunnel-construction works under its purview after amending the BBA Act in 2015.
The PD told the FE that the project has also gone through challenges like coronavirus pandemic, Ukraine war which caused delay in the shipment of necessary equipment to bring into the country through seaways.
"Due to corona-virus pandemic and Ukraine war, the project works faced delay for few months. Though these issues were challenge for the project, the project office was able to continue the construction work overcoming those time to time," says the PD.
He thinks the project has also increased the capacity of BBA and local expertise as a good number of engineers of various disciplines were engaged in the project.
A panel of experts led by Prof Jamilur Reza Chowdhury was involved with the project from the beginning. After the death of Prof Reza, BUET professor Dr Shamim Z Basunia was chairman of the nine-member PoE.
Other experts are from Bangladesh and expatriate Bangladeshis having experiences in tunnel construction abroad.

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