Thu Thiem Tunnel gets first underwater segment

10 March, 2010

Vietnam’s Thu Thiem Tunnel received its first immersed element last month. It is the first of four sections that will make up the underwater tunnel, Southeast Asia’s first.

The 370.8M long underwater tunnel forms part of the East-West Highway and will connect the city's District 1 with the new urban Thu Thiem Area in District 2. The six lane, 22km road will connect National Highway 1A with the Ha Noi Highway in the east, passing under the Sai Gon River through the new tunnel and relieving traffic flow travelling east to west.

The 27,000 tonne segment will be lowered in to its designated place on the Sai Gon riverbed and covered in backfill material. The three remaining segments will be towed to the site from Nhon Trach District in southern Dong Nai Province one at a time for the same process, taking approximately one month each to install.

The Sai Gon East-West Highway Project is being implemented by Ho Chi Minh City with financial assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The agency has provided JPY 41.027 bn (USD456M) in official development assistance for the project.

The completed underwater tunnel will be 1.49km in length and 33m wide. It will be 9m in height and contain six vehicle lanes (three for each direction) and two emergency escape lanes.

After the four units are secured and connected with the tunnel entrances at both ends, the driveway and the emergency pathways will be paved and assorted installation projects will continue until the tunnel is ready for opening in mid 2011.