Major tunnel project underway in Bangladesh

A major tunnel construction project is now underway in Bangladesh, the first tunnel in the country to be constructed under a river. The 3.4km tunnel stretch will feature parallel tubes, each carrying two lanes of traffic. Called the Bangabandhu Tunnel, the project is located at Chattogram (Chittagong) and will run from the port area of the city, under the Karnaphuli River, to Anowara Upazila.

The project is costing around US$1.56 billion in total, with close to $573 million being provided by the 1290 Export-Import Bank of China and the rest being sourced by the Bangladesh Government. When complete, the new tunnel will improve transport from the airport and the industrial zone in the south of the city to the south of the country, helping to reduce the heavy congestion that occurs at present during peak travel hours.

The tunnel features approach roads at either end and the link will dip to a maximum of 31m under the river. The tunnel will also link with the 17km ring road being constructed for the city. The work is being carried out by the 2661 China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), using a TBM that started its drive from Patenga in the west. Concrete lining segments have been supplied for the tunnel from China and the work is due for completion in 2022.