Bangabandhu Tunnel to get sensor-based monitoring system

A fully sensor-based artificial intelligence-oriented Health Monitoring System (HMS) will be installed to operate, monitor and maintain the country’s first underwater Bangabandhu Tunnel under the Karnaphuli River.

BBA sources said the HMS is the latest artificial intelligence technology to secure and operate mega-structures in the world and such a system is going to be installed for the first time in the country so that the unseen and hidden parts of the tunnel can be monitored through sensors.

Sources said such structural monitoring allows rapid assessment of the tunnel’s state of health and such an approach is becoming recognized as an appropriate means to increase the safety and optimize operational and maintenance activities of tunnels.

Data resulting from the monitoring programme is used to improve the operation, maintenance, repair and replacement of the structure based on objective results.

One of the steps that have been taken for the safety and smooth operation of the tunnel is the sensor-based technology called Health Monitoring System, Bangladesh Bridge Authority BBA Superintend Engineer Abul Hossain said.

In this system, the whole tunnel will be kept under constant monitoring just as a human body is kept under intensive monitoring.

The China Construction and Communication Company (CCCC) in charge of the tunnel operation will install this system so that sensors will be installed in each and every part of the tunnel through which the overall condition of the entire tunnel, especially temperature, light, vibration, cracks, etc can be monitored and determined from one room, he said.

At a cost of around TK 10,000 crore the construction of the Bangabandhu Tunnel, which connects Anwara and Patenga on both banks of the Karnaphuli River near the mouth of the Bay of Bengal, is almost 90 percent complete and will be opened for traffic by December.

The Chinese state-owned company CCCC has built this tunnel and the government has recently decided to appoint the Chinese firm for the management and maintenance as well as toll collection of this tunnel for the next five years

Several decisions have been taken for the safety, maintenance and smooth operation of the Bangabandhu Tunnel. Of them, four scanners will be installed at the entrances of the tunnel and transportation of flammable materials including fuel oil will be restricted, said Dr Md Moniruzzaman, Director, Planning of BBA.

CCCC has been given the responsibility of managing and maintaining this tunnel, the first in the country, and an agreement will be signed with this company soon, he said.

After that, the organization will start the installation of scanners, sensor-based monitoring systems and other works.

The control room for the artificial intelligence management system will be located in the Anwara section of the tunnel, for which the construction of the building was completed earlier.

At least 400 people will be employed in this tunnel. A significant part of them will be the security personnel. Bangladesh Navy will also be in charge of security to which the bridge authority has already given a tugboat.

The 3.4-km underground passageway is a significant part of the world’s longest Super Marine Drive from Mirsrai to Teknaf and Asian Highway connecting Chttogram Port and Matarbari Deep Seaport.

Some 13.9 million vehicles are expected to run annually through the tunnel by 2030, 32.9 million by 2050 and 50.5 million by 2062, according to an analysis.