The managing board of the Ho Chi Minh City East-West Highway and Water Environment project pumped water into sections of the Thu Thiem Tunnel January 6 to test whether it is damp-proof.
The management board of the Ho Chi Minh City East-West Highway and Water Environment project pumps water into sections of the Thu Thiem Tunnel to test for safety on January 6. (Photo: SGGP)
Board Director Luong Minh Phuc said after pumping water through the tunnel for two days at a height of 5 meters, water will then be pumped to fully flood the tunnel sections to test for leakage or weakness.
The State Appraisal Committee for Construction Projects is expected to make a final inspection of the sections at the end of the month before transferring the prefabricated tunnel sections under the Saigon River in March.
This is deemed the most important part of the project.
It will take around one month to transfer each section from Nho Trach District in the southern province of Dong Nai to the river, said Mr. Phuc.
Once completed, the Thu Thiem Tunnel will cross the Saigon River connecting Districts 1 and 2. It will stretch around 1.5 kilometers in length, 33 meters in width, and nine meters in height with six lanes. Two emergency lanes are planned as well as separate lanes for motorcycles.
The project comprises three main parts including a 585-meter section connecting to District 1, a 535-meter section linking District 2, and four immersed tunnel sections in the Saigon River stretching 370 meters.
The tunnel’s speed limit will be set at 60km per hour.
The project is estimated around VND10 trillion (US$52 million), with two-thirds of the capital funded by the Japanese Government.
Related the article:
1st section of tunnel under Saigon River to be in place in March
