A new tunnel, set to be the longest and deepest in the world, will see travel time in Norway cut by 11 hours.
If you’re anything like me, then the thought of a long car journey fills you with dread, and you might even cancel plans based on your unwillingness to travel.
There have also been times when the place I want to go is quite close, but it takes ages to get there due to how the roads are.
People in Norway will have experienced that situation, but things might be about to change.
The country is already home to the Lærdal Tunnel, which holds the record for the world’s longest road tunnel, spanning over 15 miles.
Completed in five years, it connects the municipalities of Lærdal and Aurland. Given its vast length, designers incorporated anti-claustrophobia measures to ease traveler anxiety.
However, this record will soon be surpassed by Norway’s latest infrastructure project—Rogfast. The new tunnel, stretching 16.5 miles underwater, will come at a staggering cost of over $1.9 billion, significantly more than the estimated $100 million spent on the Lærdal Tunnel.
Not only will Rogfast claim the title of the longest underwater tunnel, but it will also be the deepest, reaching a maximum depth of 1,300 feet, according to The Independent.
The Rogfast tunnel will establish a direct connection between the districts of Randaberg and Bokn. Norway’s current transport network heavily depends on the E39 coastal highway, which stretches from Trondheim in the north to Kristiansand in the south. Currently, this journey takes approximately 21 hours. However, the Rogfast project is expected to cut travel time by an impressive 11 hours.
The tunnel itself will take around 35 minutes to traverse, with drivers expected to pay a toll of £30 for passage. The existing route relies on seven ferry crossings, often disrupted by severe weather conditions.
Speaking about the project, Rogfast manager Oddvar Kaarmo emphasized the tunnel’s impact: “The port at Mortavika is quite exposed, and in the winter, ferries sometimes have to divert to another port.
Once the tunnel is finished, we will not have to rely on good weather to keep the roads open. About half a year after the last drill and blast, we have to deliver the project, so we have to get a lot of work done simultaneously. It’s more about logistics than tunneling.”
The Rogfast project is a key component of Norway’s broader £36 billion upgrade to the E39 highway.
Nearly half of the funding will come from taxpayers, with the remaining cost covered by toll fees once the tunnel is operational.
Construction initially began in 2018 but faced significant delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to The Telegraph, the project is now slated for completion in 2033 – almost a decade later than originally planned.
