Skip to main content

Norwegian tunnels needs safety improvements

Investigations into tunnel safety in Norway have revealed that there are 148 requiring safety upgrades. The 148 tunnels do not meet current EU safety requirements. The EU's road tunnel safety directive was introduced in 2007 and the deadline for the work to be carried out is April 1st, 2019. The necessary upgrade is estimated to cost €873.82 million.
August 17, 2015 Read time: 1 min
Investigations into tunnel safety in Norway have revealed that there are 148 requiring safety upgrades. The 148 tunnels do not meet current EU safety requirements. The EU's road tunnel safety directive was introduced in 2007 and the deadline for the work to be carried out is April 1st, 2019. The necessary upgrade is estimated to cost €873.82 million.

A risk analysis for tunnel fires presented by the Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (Direktoratet for samfunnssikkerhet og beredskap) in 2014 reveals that that there have been an average of 21 fires/year in Norwegian tunnels during the last eight years. Luckily, most of the fires are small with limited consequences. The analysis, involving 67 tunnels, shows that heavy vehicles were involved in seven out of 12 fires.

Related Content

  • Tough market conditions, says CECE
    March 31, 2020
    European construction machinery manufacturers association CECE points out the tough market conditions.
  • Europe’s green roads future
    June 17, 2020
    The European Commission’s Green Deal recognises that sustainable road infrastructure will keep Europe’s highways at the core of the continent's economy
  • Global growth in machine rental
    May 20, 2015
    The machine rental sector is undergoing significant expansion worldwide – Dan Gilkes reports. Plant hire, equipment rental, leasing, call it what you will, being able to use a machine when and where you need it, with no further concerns relating to ownership costs, depreciation or sudden repair bills, remains a compelling argument for many contractors. Which is one of the main reasons for the continued growth in popularity of equipment rental across the world. Rental has been big business in the UK, the US
  • New Norwegian road link
    December 17, 2018
    Construction for a new Norwegian road link is now being restarted, with approval having been given for the project. Work on the Nordøyvegen road project commenced in 2017 but was halted over concerns at its cost. The work came with an initial pricetag of close to €588 million. However revisions to the plans have resulted in a lower pricetag of €535.3 million, which has now been accepted by the local authority in Møre og Romsdal.