The work to build the country's first underwater expressway tunnel -- Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel -- under the Karnaphuli River is advancing fast, says a press release.
According to the latest progress report of the project, 81.50 per cent of the work was completed until February last.
Thanks to the mega project, massive development work took place in and around the project site. Bitumin-coated roads have been built around the tunnel. Experts said that the tunnel will be one of the key channels of economic development of the country. GDP growth rate will increase. New doors of tourism will be opened.
During a visit to the project area, it was seen that iron gates were constructed on both sides of the tunnel to prevent any tidal water from entering the project area. Lights were installed inside. A pitch-coated road was being constructed for the movement of vehicles inside the tube. The cement coating was under construction. Four layers were already laid on the connecting road. The lower two layers use 60-70 grade and the upper two layers use modified bitumen. Bashundhara bitumen is being used in this mega project. A bituminous mixing plant was set up on the road next to the tunnel.
According to the people involved in the project, construction of a special economic zone, a deep-sea port and a power plant along the length from the south bank of the Karnaphuli river to Cox's Bazar is also advancing at a fast pace. The tunnel will also be used to make connectivity with Cox's Bazar easier. The tunnel can be accessed directly through the city outer ring road of Chattogram along the Bay of Bengal. This will also help reduce traffic congestion in Chattogram city.
According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, the length of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel is 9.39 km. However, each tube has a length of 2.45 km and a diameter of 10.40 meters. This dream tunnel is being constructed at a cost of Tk 10,374 crore. Once the tunnel is built, Anwara will be connected with Chattogram like Shanghai city of China.
Regarding the progress of the work, the officials involved in the project said that despite the stagnation of everything during the corona period, the work here had not stopped for a day. Boring work has already been completed including the replacement of two tube rings. Currently, the necessary internal construction work of the tube is underway. Lane slab casting work is almost finished. The two tubes of the tunnel have been replaced by 19,616 segment castings, which were made in Zhejiang City of Jiangsu Province in China.
Deck slab and pavement construction work on the 726-meter viaduct on the edge of Anwara has been completed. The construction work of the tug boat has also been completed. A total of 5.35 kilometres of connecting roads are under construction at the western and eastern ends of the tunnel. At present bitumen coating is being done on this road.
Project Director Harunur Rashid Chowdhury said the road construction work had been going on for about a year. It would be possible to open the tunnel to traffic even before the scheduled time. Manpower and necessary equipment were increased to speed up the work.
About a decade and a half ago, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina promised to build a tunnel under the Karnaphuli River at a public meeting in Chattogram. Following this, an agreement was signed on November 6, 2017 to implement this project. Work on the project began on December 5 of that year.
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