Karnaphuli Tunnel (Bengali: কর্ণফুলী টানেল), also known as Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel, 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). It is expected, over 17,000 vehicles will be able to use this tunnel daily.[1] The cost of the project is estimated at US$1.1B, of which around half is financed by the Exim Bank of China.[2][3] The Karnaphuli Tunnel is the first underwater road tunnel in South Asia.[4][5][3] It is expected to improve the Dhaka–Chittagong–Cox's Bazar highway network.[6][7][8] A Chinese company, China Communications Construction Company, was selected to construct it.[9] The tunnel segments were produced in Zhenjiang, China.[3]
  Location of the tunnel in Patenga To Anwara Upazila, Chattogram Division | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Chittagong, Bangladesh |
| Coordinates | 22°13′49″N 91°48′16″E / 22.2304°N 91.8044°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Waterway | Karnaphuli River |
| Route | 2 |
| Start | South Patenga |
| End | Anwara Upazila |
| Operation | |
| Opened | October 28, 2023 |
| Owner | Government of Bangladesh |
| Traffic | 17,000 per day |
| Toll | ৳200-৳1,000 |
| Technical | |
| Design engineer | Chinese |
| Length | 3.32 km (9.39 km including approach road) |
| No. of lanes | 4 |
| Operating speed | Maximum 80 km/h |
| Width | 10.8 m |
| Depth of tunnel below water level | 18 to 31 m |
| Grade | A1 |
History
editOn 14 October 2016, Bangladesh Prime Minister and Chinese President Xi Jinping laid the foundation stone of the project.[10] Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping inaugurated the construction site of the Karnaphuli Tunnel on 14 October 2017. Hasina officially inaugurated the construction of the tunnel and inaugurated the tunnel boring phase on 24 February 2019.[3][11] On Saturday 28 October 2023, Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Karnaphuli Tunnel and was made available for traffic from 6 am the next day.[1][12]
Financing
editThe construction of the tunnel cost ৳10374 crore (US$870 million).[11] 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 provided ৳5913 crore (US$490 million) as a 20-year loan at 2 percent interest rate. The rest of the funding was provided by the Bangladesh government.[13]
According to the Karnaphuli Tunnel Authority, in the first year since its inauguration, the daily expenditure is four times more than the income.[14] The tunnel authorities are facing financial losses mainly due to the lack of expected traffic. According to the Bangladesh Bridge Authority, till October 20, 2024, an average of 3,910 vehicles used the tunnel daily, from which the average daily income was Tk 10 lakh 37 thousand, against the daily operating cost of Tk 37 lakh 47 thousand. As there is not enough income from the tunnel, these expenses are being paid from the state Treasury.[15]
Technologies
editKarnaphuli Tunnel has more than 100 cameras for security, capable of discerning license plate numbers.[16][17]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Over 17,000 vehicles will be able to use Bangabandhu tunnel daily, Quader says". Dhaka Tribune. 26 October 2023. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ "Breaking new ground: Bangladesh's first underwater tunnel". SMEC. 18 June 2019. Archived from the original on 2 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Karnaphuli tunnel to be ready for vehicular movement by next year". The Financial Express. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
- ^ "PM set to inaugurate Karnaphuli tunnel project Feb 24". The Independent. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. 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
- ^ "Mega projects of Bangladesh and prospective impacts in transforming the economy". Saudigazette. 25 March 2019. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
- ^ "First ever river tunnel under Karnaphuli planned". The Financial Express. Dhaka. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
- ^ "Work on Karnaphuli tunnel to begin this FY: Minister". Dhaka Tribune. Archived from the original on 8 August 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
- ^ "Karnaphuli tunnel construction to start this fiscal". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 27 July 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
- ^ "PM launches mining work of Karnaphuli Tunnel in Chittagong". Dhaka Tribune. 24 February 2019. Archived from the original on 6 November 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
- ^ জনকণ্ঠ, দৈনিক. "কর্ণফুলীর তলদেশ ফুঁড়ে এগোচ্ছে বঙ্গবন্ধু টানেল অগ্রগতি ৫০ ভাগ". দৈনিক জনকণ্ঠ || Daily Janakantha (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
- ^ a b "Bangabandhu Tunnel: Tolls await final approval, 95% of work complete". Dhaka Tribune. 2 January 2023. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
- ^ "Bangabandhu Tunnel opens today". businesspostbd.com. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
- ^ "Bangabandhu Tunnel work almost done". Bangladesh Post. 9 September 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ "কেন প্রতিদিন লাখ লাখ টাকা লোকসানে হাজার কোটি টাকার কর্ণফুলী টানেল?". BBC Bangla (in Bengali). Retrieved 2 November 2024.
- ^ "কর্ণফুলী টানেল: বাজে পরিকল্পনার সর্বোত্তম উদাহরণ". The Daily Star (in Bengali). Retrieved 2 November 2024.
- ^ "Karnaphuli tunnel buzzing with last minute activities ahead of inauguration". Dhaka Tribune. 13 October 2023.
- ^ "Case filed against reckless racers in Bangabandhu tunnel". Business Standard. 2 November 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2024.