First Thu Thiem tunnel section to be towed tomorrow

A rehearsal of the first section of the Thu Thiem Tunnel being towed from Dong Nai Province to Ho Chi Minh City will be carried out today, said the East-West Highway and Water Environment Project Management Board.

The rehearsal is a preparation for towing the section from the province’s Nhon Trach District through Sai Gon River to the construction site in District 1 tomorrow, said Luong Minh Phuc, director of the Project Management Board.

The section, which is 92.4m long, 33.3m wide, 9.1m high and weighs 25,000 tons, is one of the four for the tunnel, he said.

The project contractor will use four tugboats to drag the section 22km along the waterway with an extra tug boat to follow in reserve.

The towboats will depart at 7am, and take about six hours to deliver the section with a maximum speed of 5.5 km per hour.

For safety reasons, all vessels will be banned from traveling on Sai Gon River from 7am on Sunday to midnight on Monday, March 8.

The section will be installed on Monday, and another three sections will be towed and installed in April, May and June.

The tunnel, which is part of the East-West Highway and Water Environment Project, is expected to be completed next year, linking inner HCM City to District 2.

Tags: Thu Thiem Tunnel, Vietnam Infrastructure