Work got underway in early February on the East west Highway Project in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam that includes the 1.49km Thu Thiem tunnel, claimed to be southeast Asia’s longest tunnel under a river.
Following wrangles over the tender, Japan’s Obayashi Corporation was eventually reconfirmed as the contractor for the near US$140M scheme, (T&TI, January, p5). The 32.5m wide tunnel will be constructed over 36 months by Obayashi as an immersed tube tunnel, with a 371m long section running under the Saigon River.
