CHATTOGRAM, Jan 31: The Roads and Highways Department applied to the Ministry to extend deadline of construction of the six-lane, 11.50 km long Karnaphuli Tunnel Connecting Road by one more year.
Its construction was scheduled to be completed in December.
But the project authorities have applied for extension of the deadline till December 2024, said Executive Engineer of R & H D Pintu Chakma.
He said that 81 per cent of the work has been completed.
Earlier, four lanes were opened to traffic.
The Road Transport and Bridges Ministry has taken a project designed to avert bottlenecks on both sides of the Tunnel.
The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved those projects.
The Cabinet Committee of Government Purchase (CCGP) had approved the contractor for construction of the Tunnel Connecting Road on December 2, 2020. The appointed contractor is National Development Limited, Hasan Techno and Taher Brothers, a joint venture.
The Department of Roads and Highways is implementing the project. Delay in land acquisition hampered the progress of the project. For this reason, the deadline has been extended to December 2025.
The government has taken the 15.5- km Chaturi (Choumuhuni)-CUFL-Karnaphuli Drydock (Marine Academy)-Fakirnirhat (N-121) National Highway at a cost of Tk 584.20 crore. If the project is implemented the road connectivity will be fast, safe and cost effective.
The safe and faster connectivity at low cost can be achieved with Dhaka-Chattogram-Cox's Bazar Highway, and g Anowara Upazila in Chattogram district through the Karnaphuli Tunnel. Anwara Road is an important highway through Shikolbaha to Y junction.
Its length is 11.50 km. The road is not directly connected to a sectional highway. But a national highway, a regional highway and the Karnaphuli Tunnel will be connected with Chattogram Port.
