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

  • Agreement signed for new road link in Nigeria
    September 18, 2017
    An agreement has been signed to pay for the construction of a new 34km road link in Nigeria’s River State. The new link will connect Bonny Island with Bodo, improving transport for this key industrial area of Nigeria. The agreement was signed jointly between the Nigerian Government, Julius Berger Nigeria, and Nigeria LNG. The road project is expected to cost US$331.62 million, with around half of the financing being provided by Nigeria LNG.
  • ANI transfers operation of Guillermo Gaviria Correa to Mar 1 Devimar
    July 6, 2016
    The Colombian department of Antioquia has transferred operation of the Guillermo Gaviria Correa road connection to the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI). ANI will, in turn, cede the concession to the Mar 1 Devimar consortium. The road, named after the assassinated governor of Antioquia, runs between the municipalities of Medellin and San Jerónimo and connects Medellin to the Uraba Gulf, part of the Caribbean Sea. Gaviria, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, was kidnapped by guerrillas and held captive for
  • Bay of Plenty turns costly
    July 25, 2022
    New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty highway projects have nearly doubled in cost.
  • Sandvik’s DT1131i jumbo and iSURE software in Iceland and Norway
    August 14, 2019
    Sandvik’s DT1131i three-boom, electro-hydraulic jumbo, iSURE tunnel management software and the latest drill bit hardware were recently put to the test in Iceland and Norway* Czech contractor Metrostav recently achieved 105m of tunnel excavation in a record-breaking six days. But it will be consistent performance and progress that will see Iceland’s Dyrafjordurgong Tunnel in the remote Westfjords region open on time and on budget. The 5.3km Dyrafjordurgong Tunnel is costing around €69 million and due