C T Online Desk: After the inauguration of the Padma Bridge, this time BangabandhuTunnel under Karnaphuli river in Chattogram is waiting for the inauguration of the tunnel. Although no time has been set, the tunnel authorities want to complete the work by next December.
At present, 14 percent of the project work is left. However, with the progress of the current work, there are fears that the work will be completed within the next six months.
Project officials said 8 6 percent of the work on the Bangabandhu Tunnel project has already been completed. Besides, the progress of the approach road work on both sides of the tunnel is 85 percent. In addition, more than 600 ventilation and other equipment, including communication systems, are being brought inside the tunnel from Shanghai, China. Due to the corona, some equipment of the tunnel got stuck in China and the progress of the work was delayed. However, other works have been put forward, authorities said.
It is learned that although the excavation of two tubes has been completed in this project, at present the work of three cross passages of 7-8 meters with the two tubes is in progress. Which is not only challenging, but also high risk. The tunnel under construction is currently 90 percent complete with one of the three high-risk cross-passages. The work of the other two is also going on in parallel.
Project Director Engineer Harunur Rashid Chowdhury told media that the work of installing pavement (road surface) in the first tube is in progress. When this is done, the pavement will be placed in the second tube. In addition, the work of installing the lens slab in the first tube has been completed. The work of installing the lens slab in the second tube is also 80 percent complete.
The project worth Tk 10,364 crore was supposed to be completed in December 2022, but in December last year, the project authorities sent a letter to the ministry to extend the project for another six months. If the additional 6 months is extended, the implementation time of this project will be till June 2023. However, the work is expected to be completed in December.
The main tunnel with two tubes will be 3.32 km long. The length of the tunnel tube is 2.45 km and the inner diameter is 10.60 m. On February 24, 2019, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the boring work of the first tunnel tube. Then on 12 December 2020, the Minister of Road Transport and Bridges Obaidul Quader inaugurated the work of the second tube.Exim Bank of China is financing Tk 5,913 crore at 2 percent interest on the project. Besides, the Bangladesh government is providing Tk 4,461 crore. When the tunnel is completed, it will be the first tunnel under a river in South Asia.
