Preparation underway to open Bangabandhu Tunnel on Oct 28

City Desk :
Preparation is underway to inaugurate Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel under the Karnaphuli River in Chattogram, as 100 percent of the construction work has been completed.

“The Bangabandhu Tunnel under the Karnaphuli River is getting ready for traffic,” Project Director (PD) Md Harunur Rashid Chowdhury told BSS on Saturday.

He said now the finishing touch is going on because Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to open the tunnel on October 28.

The tunnel is fully prepared for vehicular movement, the PD said, adding, “This historic project marks the country’s first-ever underwater tunnel, and preparations for its grand inauguration are underway.”

According to project details, the tunnel that will actually turn Chattogram into “one city with two towns” is being constructed beneath the Karnaphuli River and it is expected to be opened for vehicular movement in October.

It said the multilane tunnel will directly connect the Chattogam Port with Anwara upazila, which will directly connect Cox’s Bazar with Chattogram.

The project details said two tubes, 35 feet wide and 16 feet high, have been constructed within an 11-metre gap so that heavy vehicles can pass through the tunnel easily.

The length of the tunnel is 3.40 kilometres with an approach road of 5.35 kilometres alongside a 740-metre bridge linking the main city, port and Western side of the river with its Eastern side.

As part of the project, bridges, totaling 740 metres in length have been built, linking the main port city and western side of Karnaphuli River with the heavily industrializing eastern side of the river and Anwara upazila.

Bangabandhu’s daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the boring work of the first tunnel tube on February 24, 2019.