Your single point of reference for all your Geotechnical Inquiries
|
|
|
Cowi team picked for Bangladesh tunnel project
Cowi has been awarded a contract to check the design and construction of a US$530m (£406m) tunnel in Bangladesh.
It will be working with local consultancies and Australian partner SMEC.
The Karnaphuli Tunnel will be 3.4km long and will run under the Karnaphuli River created as a part of a 20km highway aimed at enabling growth and development in a region of Bangladesh known for textile production.
The 500m of tunnel approach structures and working shaft structures will start in June and run through to February 2018. Work on access roads and viaduct will commence in early 2018 and run to 2021.
The tunnel is part of the One Belt One Road initiative - the massive infrastructure scheme connecting China with Europe and Africa. The project is primarily financed by the Chinese through Export-Import Bank of China under the One Belt One Road initiative.
"Cowi, together with local consultancies, has been chosen to review and approve the design and ensure that all construction and design meets the standards as described in the project,” said Bo Bendtsen, Cowi vice president tunnels and underground infrastructure. “Having us and the Australian partner SMEC is a condition for the investment and our job is to ensure the right quality in the construction.”
The One Belt One Road initiative (OBOR) aims to revive the old Silk Road via a trade and infrastructure network spanning from East Asia to Europe and Africa with roads, railways, ports, pipelines and everything in between in a region with a huge need for improving the infrastructure. Investments of US$900bn are planned under the initiative over the next ten years.
