CHATTOGRAM: All is set for opening on trial basis the multilane Bangabandhu Tunnel under the River Karnaphuli in the port city Friday.
Planning Minister MA Manan has said that the 9.092 kilometres (km) long four-lane tunnel under the river, first of its kind in the country, will be opened experimentally mainly for viewing by people from Friday night.
He was speaking after attending a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in Dhaka Tuesday night.
Echoing him, Project Director (PD) Harunur Rashid said, 90 per cent work of more than $1.55 billion (Tk 8,446.64 crore or over Tk 84.46 billion) Karnaphuli Tunnel Project has been completed till Thursday evening.
The tunnel set for opening on trial basis for viewing by people of the port city Friday night (October 8) as 90 per cent physical work has already been completed, he said.
He also said that construction work of the second tube of the 'dream project' of the people of Chattogram, which can change the port city and the entire district by connecting its southern portion with northern area are almost completed.
The tunnel will be formally opened for public sometimes in the middle of next year, well before the scheduled time of December 2022, he said, adding, the first tube was fully completed earlier this year.
The PD said that the construction work had remained stopped from March to August 2020 due to coronavirus outbreak.
The work resumed fully early this year only to be suspended multiple times between April and July due a series of government holidays and the nationwide coronavirus-induced lockdown amid a second wave of the pandemic, he stated.
The total work is likely to be completed within the current year, nearly one year before the scheduled time of inauguration, he said.
"The pace of work has been ramped up to complete the project well before December 2022," he added.
President of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), Mahbubul Alam, told the FE on Thursday that the tunnel would enhance importance of the port city as the country's business centre and strengthen the role of Chattogram district as communication hub in the region.
Once completed, the runnel will ease traffic jam on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway and reduce the port city's distance with the capital, he mentioned.
Besides directly connecting Chattogram's north with the south, it will cut short travel time between Dhaka, port city and beach town Cox's Bazar, he said adding it will help improve communications on Dhaka-Chattogram-Cox's Bazar national highway through linking both sides of Karnaphuli River, and lessening the pressure of traffic on the two existing bridges over the river.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated excavation work of the tunnel under Karnaphuli River on February 24, 2019. Deputy Minister of Education Barrister Muhibul Hasan Chowdhury proposed to name the country's first-ever tunnel as Bangabandhu Tunnel during a cabinet meeting that year. All members of the cabinet and the Prime Minister unanimously agreed to the proposal and, following the agreement, a circular was issued naming the tunnel after Bangabandhu.
Total cost of the Karnaphuli Tunnel Project was estimated at Tk 8,446.64 crore ($105.58 crore) that year. China is providing Tk 5,505 crore ($70.59 crore) while the rest to be borne by the Bangladesh government.
Sources said, the total length of the tunnel will be around 9.092 km including 3.40 km under Karnaphuli river with an approach road of 4.89 km alongside 740 metres of bridges linking the main port city and heavily industrialised western side of the river with the industrialising east side.
The tunnel will pass through the river close to Naval Academy on one side and Korean Export Processing Zone (KEPZ) and Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company (KAFCO) on the other. The tunnel will also connect the Chittagong Port with Anwara Upazila.
