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CHATTOGRAM: The first-ever tunnel of the country under the river Karnaphuli will open to traffic in March next year.
The tunnel was scheduled to open in the current month.
Sources said, the construction work of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel has almost been completed.
Officials related to the project expressed the hope that the tunnel was fully ready to open for traffic by the end of this year.
But, the construction works of the intersection roads at the sides of Patenga and Anwara are yet to be fully completed.
It will hamper the traffic both sides of the tunnel. So the authority has deferred the date of inauguration of the tunnel to March next year.
Project Director Harunur Rashid hopes that the construction work of the tunnel will be completed before the schedule.
He said, 98 per cent of construction works of the Karnaphuli tunnel were completed by November 25.
The construction works are underway in full swing with a target of completing the works within January 2023.
"Meanwhile, two tubes have already been constructed within an 11-meter gap so that heavy vehicles can pass through the tunnel easily. We have completed the excavation works. Now roads are constructed at the tubes,' he said.
He said, "After the completion of the work, other issues including driving through the tunnel will be checked and then it will be opened for traffic."
Sources said, the total length of the tunnel will be around 9.092 kilometers including 3.40 kilometers under the Karnaphuli River with an approach road of 4.89 kilometers alongside 740 meters 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 will directly connect Chittagong port and South Chattogram particularly the Anwara upazila. It will make communication between Chattogram and Cox's Bazar easier.
The tunnel will also ease traffic congestion on two bridges over the Karnaphuli River.
According to the sources, the total expenditure cost of the tunnel project was Tk 84.46 billion while China is providing Tk 55.05 billion.
The rest of the amount is provided by the Bangladesh government.