Quang Ninh plans to build undersea tunnel at Cua Luc Bay

An architecture design of Cua Luc tunnel project by Transport Engineering Design Inc. (Source: Photo baoquangninh.vn)

The tunnel will connect Vuon Dao T-junction of Bai Chay ward and the coastal roads of the Vinhomes urban area in Ha Long city’s Hon Gai ward.

It is expected to have six lanes for vehicles and with a maximum speed of 60 kilometres per hour.

The project will cost more than 9.7 trillion VND (417.6 million USD). The tunnel has a total length of 2,750 metres and can resist level seven earthquakes.

According to the provincial authority, the construction of the tunnel will ease traffic congestion on Bai Chay bridge.

At the moment, the bridge is the only way to connect Hon Gai and Bai Chay as well as linking tourist sites in the west to the administration area in the east of Ha Long city.

It will also help improve the traffic corridor on Hai Phong-Ha Long-Van Don-Mong Cai Expressway and strengthen connectivity with the newly-built Van Don airport.

Nguyen Duc Long, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the investment was necessary to complete the key transport system in the province.

With the rapid increase of traffic on the route, it is expected that Bai Chay bridge would be overloaded by 2025, he said.

Tran Van Hung, Director of the provincial Department of Planning and Investment, said the area was often hit by storms each year.

Whenever there is a storm, relevant forces are forced to suspend traffic on Bai Chay bridge to ensure the safety for road users, Hung said.

This affected the lives of local residents, he said meaning the Cua Luc tunnel project would play an important role in improving traffic connectivity in the region.

According to Vu Van Khanh, Director of the provincial Transport Department, who is also director of the project’s Board of Management, the Cua Luc tunnel project was included in the province’s master plan for transport infrastructure by 2020 and considered a top priority.

Three consultant units have expressed their initiatives on the projects including Nippon Koei of Japan, FECON Joint Stock Company and Transport Engineering Design Inc.

They suggested two methods, tunnel boring machine and immersed tunneling, which are widely selected by many countries for safety and effectiveness reasons.

The project’s Board of Management has completed appointing contractor and the consulting agencies have conducted surveys on the effect on nearby communities as well as talking with relevant agencies and organisations.

Once approved, the project will start this year and is scheduled for completion in the next five years.