Karnaphuli tunnel not opening in December?

The Karnaphuli Multilane Road Tunnel Project authorities are struggling to meet the December deadline for the inauguration of the tunnel as work on some components is not going on at the expected pace.

They are doubtful whether the tunnel would be fully ready for use by that time after completing the construction. 

The Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) has already sought an extension of the loan-availability period for the foreign-funded project. 

Authorities said they are trying their best to get the Bangabandhu Tunnel in Chattogram ready for inauguration by December this year, but are not confident about completing the task by that time because of some setbacks including the delayed shipment of goods from China due to Covid-19 restrictions. 

The shipment was halted in March this year which resumed in June.    

“This is not like other projects. A road can be opened for traffic leaving some minor works unfinished. But a tunnel under the river should be a hundred per cent okay and tested multiple times before opening for traffic,” said an official involved in the project on condition of anonymity.

According to the sources, construction of the 3.32-kilometre main tunnel, consisting of two tubes, under the river will be completed by December this year. But some electrical works may take more time due to the shipment delay. The equipment will be used for electricity, ventilation and communication services inside the tunnel. 

“Apart from the physical works, there are six components including communication, ventilation and electricity which need to be functional simultaneously. If any of those does not work properly, the tunnel will not be operational. So, we need to go slow and accurately,” said a high official of the project.

Asked, Md Harunur Rashid Chowdhury, Project Director of Multilane Road Tunnel Under River Karnaphuli, told The Business Post that some 88.5% of work of the Tk 10,374 crore project has been completed as of July. 

“We do not want to miss the deadline. Let’s see,” he said.

The total length of the tunnel will be around 9.39 kilometres, including 3.32 kilometres long main tunnel under the Karnaphuli. It also includes an approach road of 4.89 kilometres alongside 740 metres of bridges.

According to the sources, engineers are now working on cross passages, commonly known as escape shafts, be tween the two tubes. The cross passage provides emergency and maintenance access. 

Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam on Friday, however, informed reporters that the tunnel would be inaugurated in December as the construction work went smoothly so far. 

“One of the tubes will be opened by the end of October or the first week of November and the second one will be opened in December as per the schedule,” he said.

Extension of loan-availability period sought 

The project authorities have recently sought an extension of the loan-availability period for another six months from December, citing that the main tunnel works are not in line with the schedule. China’s Exim Bank is providing Tk 98b loan for this megaproject and China Communication and Construction Company Limited (CCCC) is constructing the tunnel.

In a letter to the Bangladesh Bridge Authority, the project authorities said that the delay in receiving goods and equipment from Shanghai Port since March 2022 due to Covid restrictions hampered the implementation of the project. 

Md Harunur Rashid Chowdhury said that the Economic Relations Division is contacting the Exim Bank in China about loan availability issues. “The request has been made so that we can get the instalment of loan available after December,” he said. 

Other Challenges  

Sources said the tunnel construction authorities have informed the BBA that they were disappointed as the CCCC, the contractor of the project, did not monitor the work progress of two local sub-contractors appointed for establishing the management software system for BBA and construction of the service area (East). Work progress on both components is slow. 

The BBA had requested the CCCC to take over some of the work and inject additional resources to complete it within the set time. “Despite doing so, the CCCC could not accelerate the work progresses,” the project authorities said in the letter sent to the BBA, adding that the slow progress may ultimately result in missing the inauguration deadline.

Md Harunur Rashid Chowdhury, however, told The Business Post that sometimes they need to remind the contractors about deadlines if they go slow. “This is an internal process. The work will be done within the deadline hopefully,” he said. 

According to the official, the construction work of the service area will not hamper the inauguration deadline.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President of China Xi Jinping laid the foundation stone of the tunnel on October 14, 2017.

The four-lane tunnel extends from near Bangladesh Naval Academy in Patenga to near Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company in Anwara.