Karnaphuli Tunnel

Karnaphuli Tunnel[2] (Bengali: কর্ণফুলী টানেল),[3] officially known as Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel (Bengali: বঙ্গবন্ধু শেখ মুজিবুর রহমান টানেল), is an underwater expressway tunnel in the port city of Chittagong, Bangladesh under the Karnaphuli river. The length of the entire route is 9.39 kilometres (5.83 mi), with the tunnel making up 3.32 kilometres (2.06 mi) of the length. The tunnel diameter is 10.80 metres (35.4 ft). The cost of the project is estimated at US$1.1B, of which around half is financed by the Exim Bank of China.[4][5] The tunnel is expected to be completed in 2023 and will be the first under-water road tunnel in South Asia.[6][7][5] It is expected to improve the Dhaka—Chittagong—Cox's Bazar highway network.[8][9][10] A Chinese company, China Communications Construction Company, was selected to construct it.[2] Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping inaugurated the construction site of the Karnaphuli Tunnel on 14 October 2017. On 24 February 2019, Sheikh Hasina also inaugurated the tunnel boring phase.[5]

Karnaphuli Tunnel
কর্ণফুলী টানেল
Overview
Official nameBangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel
(বঙ্গবন্ধু শেখ মুজিবুর রহমান টানেল)
LocationChittagong, Bangladesh
StatusOpening 28th October
StartSouth Patenga
EndAnwara Upazila
Operation
OwnerGovernment of Bangladesh
TrafficAll types of vehicles (Except motorcycles)[1]
Technical
Length9.39 kilometres (5.83 mi)

The tunnel segments were produced in Zhenjiang, China.[5]

History

On October 14, 2016, Bangladesh Prime Minister and Chinese President Xi Jinping laid the foundation stone of the project.[11] Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina officially inaugurated the construction of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel on February 24, 2019.[12]

Financing

The construction of the tunnel will cost 10 thousand 374 crores.[13][12] In October 2016, during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Dhaka, the loan agreement for the construction of the Karnaphuli tunnel was signed. According to the agreement, Exim Bank of China is giving Tk 5 thousand 913 crore[13] as a 20-year loan. The rest of the funding is being done by the Bangladesh government. Exim Bank's financing interest rate is 2 percent.

See also

References
  1. https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/motorcycles-three-wheelers-not-allowed-bangabandhu-tunnel-561494
  2. "PM launches mining work of Karnaphuli Tunnel in Chittagong". Dhaka Tribune. 2019-02-24. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
  3. "Karnaphuli tunnel construction likely to begin Oct 10".
  4. "Breaking new ground: Bangladesh's first underwater tunnel". SMEC. 18 June 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  5. "Karnaphuli tunnel to be ready for vehicular movement by next year". The Financial Express. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  6. "PM set to inaugurate Karnaphuli tunnel project Feb 24". The Independent. Retrieved 5 August 2020. It will be the first ever river tunnel in South Asia and we expect the construction work to be completed by 2022
  7. "Mega projects of Bangladesh and prospective impacts in transforming the economy". Saudigazette. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  8. "First ever river tunnel under Karnaphuli planned". The Financial Express. Dhaka. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  9. "Work on Karnaphuli tunnel to begin this FY: Minister". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  10. "Karnaphuli tunnel construction to start this fiscal". The Daily Star. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  11. জনকণ্ঠ, দৈনিক. "কর্ণফুলীর তলদেশ ফুঁড়ে এগোচ্ছে বঙ্গবন্ধু টানেল অগ্রগতি ৫০ ভাগ". দৈনিক জনকণ্ঠ || Daily Janakantha (in Bengali). Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  12. "Bangabandhu Tunnel: Tolls await final approval, 95% of work complete". Dhaka Tribune. 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  13. "Bangabandhu Tunnel toll, opening, construction and all other information 2023". EduportalBD. Retrieved 2023-01-22.

22.2304°N 91.8044°E / 22.2304; 91.8044


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