Skip to main content

Norway mega-project contract for Fugro

The largest road project in Norway’s history has seen Fugro win a second major contract from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA). The work on the E39 Coastal Highway is for the construction of a 1,100km route from Kristiansand in the south to Trondheim in central Norway. This project is expected cost around €34.4 billion (NOK 340 billion).
December 20, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
The new coastal route will improve transport for Norway. E39 Orthomap Courtesy of Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA)
The largest road project in Norway’s history has seen 6202 Fugro win a second major contract from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA). The work on the E39 Coastal Highway is for the construction of a 1,100km route from Kristiansand in the south to Trondheim in central Norway. This project is expected cost around €34.4 billion (NOK 340 billion).

Fugro is set to begin a year-long contract, valued at approximately €7.7 million (NOK 76 million), to carry out seabed investigations in four fjord locations where vast engineering projects are planned. The fjords - Vartdalsfjorden, Sulafjorden, Romsdalsfjorden and Halsafjorden – are in the county of Møre og Romsdal. The work is in addition to a 12-year environmental measurement programme relating to the major route, won by Fugro in 2016.

The geophysical and geotechnical data acquired by Fugro will help inform foundation designs of the bridge and tunnel solutions for the fjord crossings along the coastal route. Above and below sea level tunnels; an end-anchored floating bridge; a submerged floating tube bridge; and multi-span suspension bridge are amongst the innovative solutions being considered by NPRA to provide an improved E39 without ferries (currently seven ferries are used along the route). The new Coastal Highway will be almost 50km shorter and will cut in half the current journey time of around 21 hours.

Fugro’s work is split into two phases. Phase 1 encompasses geophysical mapping of the fjord-crossing areas and two vessels will be used to acquire geophysical and shallow geotechnical data. Survey vessel Fugro Helmert will cover shallow, nearshore areas to acquire multi-channel sparker data. From the second vessel Fugro will acquire detailed geophysical data in the deeper parts of the fjords using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and will also undertake seabed sampling and cone penetration testing.

With a planned start date of August 2018, phase 2 will see Fugro perform geotechnical drilling at selected locations as defined by the geophysical data acquired in the first phase. For deeper geotechnical drilling during phase 2, the high-tech drillship Fugro Synergy will be introduced.

“We started working with NPRA on the E39 Coastal Highway project last summer with a long-term programme to measure wind profiles, ocean waves and current profiles at three fjords,” explained Dag Sigurd Stensholt, Fugro’s business development manager in Norway. “It makes us very proud to add our marine site characterisation services to such a huge and important venture.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • 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
  • Nordøyvegen project wins Norway civils award
    April 6, 2023
    The North Island Road – the English translation - is the largest county road project so far in Norway and opened last year.
  • Work starting on Norway’s mega-tunnel project
    January 5, 2018
    Construction is now commencing on Norway’s Rogfast tunnel mega-project on the E39 route between Bergen and Stavanger. The project will cost around €1.8 billion to construct according to some estimates. The new project will set several world records as it will be the longest and deepest undersea road tunnel ever constructed, measuring 27.3km and reaching a maximum 392m below the sea bed. Once the new tunnel opens to traffic in 2025 or 2026 it will reduce the travel time between Bergen and Stavanger, in the
  • Norway's bridge meets tough environmental targets
    May 2, 2012
    One of the world's longest bridges is being built in Norway – for traffic volumes of just 2,000 cars/day reports Adrian Greeman. The stunning landscape of the long sea fjords in Norway is one of its glories, attracting thousands of tourists every summer. But the high mountains and deep sea inlets are also one of the great obstacles to transport and development.