The toll rates for the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel, constructed beneath the Karnaphuli River in Chittagong, have been finalized. The bridges division recently issued a notification outlining the toll rates based on vehicle categories. The toll charges will be applicable once the tunnel is officially opened, although the opening date has yet to be determined.
According to the notification, a total of 12 vehicle types will be subject to toll fees at the Bangabandhu Tunnel. Private cars and pick-up trucks, categorized as the lowest class, will be charged a minimum toll of Tk 200 for traversing the 3.43-km-long tunnel. Microbuses will pay Tk 250, while buses with less than 31 seats will be charged Tk 300. Buses with 32 or more seats will incur a toll of Tk 400, and larger buses with 3XL will pay Tk 500. Trucks carrying loads up to five tonnes will be charged Tk 400, while those with eight and eleven-tonne capacities will pay Tk 500 and Tk 600, respectively. Toll fees for 3XL and 4XL trailers have been set at Tk 800 and Tk 1,000, with an additional Tk 200 for each additional XL. Notably, motorcycles will not be permitted to use the Karnaphuli tunnel, as per the notification.
Comparatively, drivers will need to pay considerably higher toll fees when crossing the Karnaphuli Shah Amanat Bridge. The toll rates for private cars and buses with less than 31 seats on the Shah Amanat Bridge are Tk 75 and Tk 50, respectively, while buses crossing the tunnel will have to pay Tk 300.
Based on a feasibility study conducted for the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel, it is projected that upon its operational commencement, an average of 28,305 vehicles will traverse the tunnel daily by the year 2025. The study further estimates an increase to 37,946 vehicles by 2030 and sets a target of 162,000 vehicles per day by 2067.
