CCCC builds China’s first oversea tunnel in Bangladesh

The launching ceremony of a tunnel boring machine (TBM) used in a multi-lane road tunnel construction under the Karnaphuli River in Chittagong, Bangladesh's Southeastern seaport city, was held on Feb 24.

The construction project by China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC), a Chinese central SOE, is the only one of its kind in Bangladesh and is the first long and large tunnel that China has ever built overseas.

The TBM, one of the core equipment pieces used in the construction, was independently developed and manufactured by China. The TBM used in Bangladesh is the largest of its kind in terms of its diameter that China has ever exported.

The whole project, connecting the east and west sides of the Karnaphuli River, has a total length of 9,092 meters. The tunnel is designed with a length of 3,500 meters and the shield part is about 2,450 meters.

The two-way, four-lane tunnel applies Chinese standards with a design speed of 80 kilometers per hour.

The project is expected to relieve transportation pressure in Chittagong. In addition, it will put an end to the current situation in Chittagong in which the city is divided by the river into two parts and promote coordinated urban economic development.

The launching ceremony of the tunnel boring machine (TBM) used in a multi-lane road tunnel construction under the Karnaphuli River in Chittagong, Bangladesh is held on Feb 24. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

(Executive editor: Hao Wen)