Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel under the Karnaphuli River has been completed of 93 percent work inside. 7 percent work is still left. But a tube is being inaugurated on November 26. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate. The entire tunnel will be inaugurated in January.
Chattogram District Commissioner Mohammad Mominur Rahman made the matter on Wednesday afternoon. He said, Hon'ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given her kind consent to inaugurate a tube of Bangabandhu Tunnel on November 26. The entire tunnel will be inaugurated next January.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (Karnaphuli Tunnel) is being constructed under the Karnaphuli river at a cost of Tk 9 thousand 880 crores. Its work is in its final stage. The tunnel is not being inaugurated at the scheduled time as there is some work left to be done inside and outside the tunnel.
Tunnel construction project director Harunur Rashid Chowdhury said, "Though the work was supposed to be completed in December, 93 percent of the work inside the tunnel has been completed yet. 7 percent work is still left. As the electrical lines and some technical works are still pending, it is not possible to say when the inauguration will take place at this moment. But the issue of inauguration will be decided by the policy makers of the government.”
He said, “Apart from the work on the inside of the tunnel, some work is left on the outside. It is not possible to open the tunnel without ensuring these works full. One thousand workers including 300 engineers from Bangladesh and China are working day and night to complete the work quickly."
It is learned that when the construction of the tunnel under the Karnaphuli river started on February 24, 2019, the project was scheduled to finish on December 16, 2022. The tunnel will be connected to the Dhaka-Chittagong Cox's Bazar highway with a length of 3.43 km at the Anwara end, entering from the Naval Academy in the Patenga area of Chattogram city through a depth of 150 feet.
The construction of this tunnel project is being implemented by the Chinese company's China Communication and Construction Company Limited (CCCC). A 5.15 km approach road has already been constructed at both ends of the tunnel. Of these, the approach road at the Karnaphuli-Anwara end is four kilometers and has a flyover of 700 meters. Four lane 22.40 meter wide approach road and flyover completed.
8.10 km from Karnaphuli Upazila Crossing Way Junction to Anwara Kalabibi Dighi Mor and 2.40 km from Kalabibi Dighi Mor to Anwara Sadar Road 16 feet wide six lane work has also been completed. The cost of which is estimated to be around 390 crores. These works are progressing at a fast pace. 63 lakh vehicles will move in the first year of tunnel operation. The authorities believe that it may gradually increase. About 51 percent will be small vehicles including trailers carrying containers and various types of trucks and vans with 49 percent buses.
Suman Singha, Executive Engineer of Dohazari Roads and Highways Department, said, “60 percent of the work on 6 lines from Kalabibi Dighi Junction in Anwara to Shikalbaha Crossing in Karnaphuli has already been completed. Due to some complications in land acquisition, the work on the four-lane road will be completed by December. The line road will be opened for public soon.