The first of the four concrete segments of Thu Thiem Tunnel, the country’s first underwater tunnel, was settled under the Saigon River on Monday.
The 27,000-ton structure was towed from Nhon Trach District in the southern province of Dong Nai to the river.
Engineers said the sealed segment will be lowered into a prepared trench on the riverbed and then covered with backfilling material in order to secure its position and protect the tunnel.
The installation of each segment takes about one month to complete, they said.
The last segment is scheduled to be installed by June.
The 370-meter-long underwater tunnel will connect the city’s District 1 with the Thu Thiem urban area in District 2. The tunnel is designed to ease traffic congestion in the city.
The tunnel is part of the HCMC East-West Highway Project funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The agency has provided 41.027 billion yen (US$456 million) in Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the project.
JICA chief representative in Vietnam, Tsuno Motonori, said the installation of the immersed tunnel segments is the most difficult part of the highway project.
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