Work on river tunnel nears end

The installation of the fourth and final section of the Thu Thiem Tunnel under the Sai Gon River, the most important and difficult phase of construction, will be carried out on June 5.

The chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, Le Hoang Quan, exhorted the project managers, contractors, scientists and 24 concerned agencies to work diligently to complete the project’s most challenging phase at a meeting held yesterday.

With the rest of the pre-fabricated tunnel in place, there is a space of just 1.25 metres for engineers to manoeuvre the section in place.

He took note of ideas from key officials, especially from the project management, public security, transport sector, meteorology, waterway police, and military, about their experiences from installing the three previous sections and suggestions for the upcoming task.

The management board announced that all river transport would be suspended in the vicinity for 36 hours starting on June 4 as the tunnel section is sunk.

The weather could be a factor with the rainy season almost upon the city.

The section will be towed to District 1, where the tunnel is being built, from Dong Nai Province’s Nhon Trach District, where all the sections were fabricated.

It will take around 12 hours to tow and place the section in place before it is installed the next morning, a job that will take another 15 hours.

In an amazing coincidence, the tunnel will be built at not only the spot from where President Ho Chi Minh left Viet Nam to explore ways to liberate the country 99 years ago but also on the same date – June 5.

The tunnel is expected to be completed in September 2.

The tunnel is part of the East – West Highway and Water Environment project. — VNS

Tags: Thu Thiem Tunnel, Vietnam Infrastructure, Vietnam transport