Motorcycles, three-wheelers not allowed in Bangabandhu Tunnel

Highlights: 

• Motorcycles and three-wheelers will not be allowed to move through the Bangabandhu Tunnel
• Road Transport and Bridge Minister Obaidul Quader on 20 December approved the toll rate proposed by the bridge authority 
• The movement of motorcycles and three-wheelers inside the tunnel is not considered for the time being, mainly for the safety of the tunnel
• So far the progress of the project is 94% and the rest of the work will be completed by January
• The government took the tunnel project to connect the two banks of Karnaphuli to build "one city to town" on the model of Shanghai in China

Motorcycles and three-wheelers will not be allowed to run through the Bangabandhu Tunnel under the River Karnaphuli, according to the proposed list of vehicles and their tolls submitted by the Bangladesh Bridge Authority.

On 20 December, Road Transport and Bridge Minister Obaidul Quader approved the proposed toll rate, which is awaiting the approval of the Ministry of Finance.

Md Abul Hasan, deputy secretary (development) of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, said, "The movement of motorcycles and three-wheelers through the tunnel is not considered for the time being, mainly for the safety of the tunnel."

Bangabandhu Tunnel Project Director Md Harunur Rashid said the construction of the south tube (Anwara end to Patenga end) has been completed and is ready for traffic. Work on the north tube (Patenga end to Anwara end) is almost complete. The toll rate will be finalised before the traffic starts moving.

Earlier on 26 November, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced the completion of the south tube.

So far the progress of the project is 94%. The rest of the work will be completed by January, said the project-related engineers.

Md Abul Hasan said that the draft of toll rate has been decided after reviewing the toll of the nearby Shah Amanat Bridge. It will be gazetted after the final approval of the Finance Department and the Prime Minister's Office.

According to the toll proposed by the bridge authorities, private cars, jeeps and pickups have to pay Tk200, and microbuses have to pay Tk250 to pass through the tunnel. At present, the toll at the Shah Amanat Bridge is Tk75 for private cars, Tk100 for jeeps, and Tk100 for microbuses.

The toll for a bus having up to 31 seats is Tk300 and for buses with 32 or more seats is Tk400, which is Tk50 and Tk155 respectively at Shah Amanat Bridge.

Trucks with a capacity of five tonnes have to pay Tk400, for five to eight tonnes Tk500, and for eight to 11 tonnes Tk600, which is Tk130, Tk200 and Tk300 respectively at the Shah Amanat Bridge. 

For trailers, the toll has been proposed as Tk1,000 which is Tk750 at the Shah Amanat Bridge.

Earlier in 2019, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the boring work of the first tunnel.

In 2015, the cost of the main project of the construction of the Bangabandhu Tunnel was estimated at Tk8,446 crore. Later in the same year, the expenditure on the first amendment was increased by Tk1,900 crore to Tk10,374 crore. At that time the project time was also extended from 2020 to 2022. In the latest second amendment, the term of the Bangabandhu Tunnel is being extended till 30 December 2023.

This tunnel is being built with the financial and technical support of China. Exim Bank of China is financing this project with Tk5,913 crore at a 2% interest rate. Bangladesh is providing the remaining Tk4,461 crore.

The government took the tunnel project to connect the two banks of Karnaphuli to build "one city to town" on the model of Shanghai in China. The length of the main tunnel with two tubes is 3.32 kilometres. The length of the tunnel tube is 2.45 kilometres and the inner diameter is 10.80 metres.