Bangladesh officials are hopeful that the Bangabandhu tunnel, the largest tunnel project in Asia, will drastically improve traffic movement in Chittagong area and will have an impact similar to that created by the Padma bridge in Dhaka.
It is said that the opening of the Padma Bridge has cleared one of the most severe traffic bottlenecks in Bangladesh. Earlier, launches and ferries at Sadarghat terminal would be overloaded with passengers as they were the sole means of a crossing of the mighty Padma River. In the same vein, the Bangabandhu Tunnel will open up a new route across (or rather under) the Karnaphuli River.
The tunnel will take connectivity between the Chittagong metropolitan areas and Anwara upazila, on the south bank of the river, to new heights. It will also allow traffic from Dhaka to bypass Chittagong City and go directly to Cox’s Bazar. The tunnel under development is 3.4km long. In addition to the tunnel, more than five kilometres of linked roadways and a 727-metre overbridge are being constructed.
The authorities plan to turn Chittagong into a two-town city, like Shanghai, once the tunnel is completed.
Significant changes are already visible in the communication systems south of Chittagong, including in Anwara, Banshkhali, Patiya, and Chandnaish on the south bank of the Karnaphuli, as a result of the work on the tunnel project.
West Patiya and Anwara on the Karnaphuli’s south and east banks will become sub-towns.
Various initiatives are underway on the part of industry owners to establish new enterprises in the Anwara region along the Tunnel Road. Locals also intend to set up various businesses, such as luxury restaurants and shopping centres.
Traders believe that the tunnel will benefit not only the economy of South Chittagong but also that of the entire country, as it will create a modern communication system between Dhaka, Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar that will link it to the Asian Highway.
The tunnel will connect the east side of the river with Chittagong Port and airport on the Karnaphuli River’s west bank, facilitating transport of products for import and export.
The connectivity between Chittagong city and the Korean EPZ in Anwara, the under-construction China Economic Zone, Matarbari deep seaport, and the tourist city of Cox’s Bazar, in particular, would be significantly improved.
Chittagong Chamber President Mahbubul Alam said: “Another dream like the Padma Bridge is the Bangabandhu Tunnel. This dream is also going to come true. The Bangabandhu Tunnel will expand the South Chittagong economy.”
Status of the tunnel
Project officials hope the tunnel, being built at a cost of Tk10,374 crore, will be ready for traffic by the end of the year.
When asked about the status of the multi-lane road tunnel project, Project Director Harunur Rashid Chowdhury told Dhaka Tribune: “The total progress of the project until last June was 87%, but the remaining work is difficult. As a result, progress in the last 13% may be slow. We are continuing our efforts to complete the tunnel work before the deadline.”
He said a major cause of the delays in the project was the difficulty in bringing in important equipment from Shanghai due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCL), the Chinese contractor, is building the tunnel. The Bangladesh Bridge Authority has charged the same entity with tunnel maintenance and toll collection.
On February 24, 2019, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the tunnel boring work. On August 2, 2020, the boring work was completed, including the replacement of the first 2,450m-long tunnel tube ring.
In December 2020, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader inaugurated the boring work for the second tunnel tube, which is 2,459m-long. The work was completed on October 7, 2021.
The internal structure of the second tube is being built at the moment.
