Skip to main content

NCC picks up Eysturoy and Sandoy tunnel contracts in the Faroes

Swedish construction company NCC has signed a contract to build two sub-sea road tunnels in the Faroe Islands, an archipelago north of Scotland. The first project – the Eysturoy Tunnel between Eysturoy and Streymoy - will cost around €152 million. The value of second one – the Sandoy Tunnel between Streymoy and Sandoy – will cost about €120 million, but there is an option for the government-owned client, P/F Eystur- och Sandoyartunlar (EST), not to proceed. The government created the company, Eystur – og
November 15, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Sub-sea roundabout in planned Eysturoy Tunnel
Swedish construction company 5211 NCC has signed a contract to build two sub-sea road tunnels in the Faroe Islands, an archipelago north of Scotland.

The first project – the Eysturoy Tunnel between Eysturoy and Streymoy - will cost around €152 million.

The value of second one – the Sandoy Tunnel between Streymoy and Sandoy – will cost about €120 million, but there is an option for the government-owned client, P/F Eystur- och Sandoyartunlar (EST), not to proceed.

The government created the company, Eystur – og Sandoyartunlar, specifically to construct the two subsea tunnels, including connecting road and to operate the tunnels, in addition to any other business related to the activity.

The rugged Faroe Islands are where the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean meet, and lie halfway between Norway and Iceland - 320km north-northwest of mainland Scotland.

They cover around 1,400km² with a population of close to 50,000 and are an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark. The Faroes have a sub-polar oceanic climate but temperatures often remain above freezing in winter due to the Gulf Stream of warm water flowing up from the far-off Caribbean.

The country’s six main islands, with around 90% of the population, are connected by road. There are also 17 land tunnels. The various islands are connected by two underwater tunnels, in addition to three bridges and seven ferry lines.

The 11km Eysturoy Tunnel will connect the towns of Skálafjørður and Tórshavn. According to the company, the tunnel will run under the Bay of Skálafjørður using two tunnels that connect to a roundabout under the seabed at mid-way. In order to increase safety, no inclination in the tunnel will be steeper than 5% and the lowest point is to be 187m below sea level.

The 10.6km Sandoy tunnel will connect the island of Sandoy to the greater part of the Faroese infrastructure. Lowest point will be 157m below sea level and, similar to the Eysturoy tunnel, the steepest inclination will be 5%.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Croatia’s Peljesac Bridge progressing
    June 11, 2020
    China Road and Bridge Corporation is working through the pandemic period.
  • Polish tunnel project being planned
    January 21, 2019
    Construction work on the planned tunnel for the Polish islands of Uznam and Wolin will commence in 2021. The islands lie on Poland’s Baltic Coast and this €184 million tunnel project is intended to improve transport connections in the area. The ferries used at present are ageing and are no longer able to cope adequately with the number of vehicles using the crossing. Up to 11,000 vehicles/day make the crossing during peak summer months, with around 2 million vehicles/year making the trip by ferry at present
  • Shortlist set for Norway’s Sotra PPP project
    May 21, 2020
    Sotra Link, Itias and Vis Sotra are vying for the $1.15 billion deal.
  • Norway drops planned fixed link between Moss and Horten
    October 25, 2018
    Norway’s Road Administration has stopped investigations into a proposed bridge or tunnel spanning 10.5km of the Oslofjord between Moss and Horten, according to Norwegian media. The Ministry of Transport has ordered Veivesendet to cancel consultations amid the government’s growing concern over the cost of any fixed link across the narrows, around 65km south of the capital Oslo. The half-hour car-ferry crossing as part of National Highway 19 will continue as usual. Several thousand people and vehicles m