Karnaphuli tunnel work begins today

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will launch the boring for Karnaphuli tunnel and construction of the country's longest elevated expressway in the port city's Potenga today.

The 16.5-km expressway would cost an estimated Tk 3,225 crore and the tunnel Tk 9,880 crore.

China Communication and Construction Company has been constructing the 9.3-km tunnel, about 3.4 km of which would be under the river, officials said.

Construction work for the country's first tunnel began in December in 2017. It is likely to be completed by 2022, Project Director Harunur Rashid Chowdhury told The Daily Star, adding that about one third of the work has been done already.

Meanwhile, Chattogram Development Authority will begin the construction work for the elevated expressway from Lalkhan Bazar.

Six phases of this project is also expected to be completed by 2022.

The expressway will connect Lalkhan Bazar to Shah Amanat International Airport to ease congestion.

It will reduce gridlocks near the export processing zones and facilitate investment, officials said. 

There will be 24 ramps of the four-lane expressway.

Mahbubul Alam, president of Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry told The Daily Star that the two projects will help Chattogram's economy flourish by easing communication.