24pc construction works of Karnaphuli tunnel completed: Quader

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CHATTOGRAM, Aug 25, 2018 (BSS) – Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said around 24 percent construction works of Karnaphuli tunnel have been completed.

The minister expressed his firm conviction that the government is relentlessly working to complete the construction work of the much awaited tunnel under the river Karnaphuli in time.

The minister told journalists after visiting project sheds, boring machine and boring area of the tunnel site at West Point of city’s Patenga this noon.

Quader directed the district administration and project authority to monitor strictly as the construction works to be completed of the much awaited tunnel under the river Karnaphuli in time.

Bangladesh Awami League (AL) Organizing Secretary Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, Deputy Publication and Publicity Secretary Aminul Islam, Chattogram Zilla Parishad Chairman M A Salam, President of Chattogram South District AL Muslem Uddin Ahmed, City penal mayor Chowdhury Hasan Mohammad Hasni and deputy Project Director Dr Anupom Shah were also present.

The 3.5 kilometres long four-lane tunnel, country’s first-ever tunnel, will make Chittagong into ‘One City Two Towns’, modelled on east and west Shanghai of China, project sources said.

China’s Exim Bank has provided soft loan around Taka 9,000 crore out of Taka 20,000 crore for the project while Chinese firm ‘China Communication Construction Company Ltd (CCCC), has been appointed as consultant for construction of the four-lane tunnel, the source added.

The total length of the proposed tunnel will be around 9.092 kilometres including 3.40 kilometres tunnel under the Karnaphuli River with an approach road of 4.89 kilometres alongside 740 metres of bridges linking the main port city, and western side of the Karnaphuli along with the heavy industry-prone eastern side of the river.

The multilane tunnel route will pass through the river close to Navy College on one side and Korean Export Processing Zone (KEPZ) and Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company (Kafco) on the other.

The tunnel will cut the road distance between Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar, apart from facilitating the heavy traffic on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway entering the port city to go to other parts of Chittagong division.

The tunnel will connect Chittagong Port and Anowara Upazila and is expected to make communication between Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar easier also ease traffic on two bridges over the Karnaphuli River.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chinese President Xi Jinping jointly laid foundation stone on October 14 in 2017.