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

  • More Norway wooden bridges to open
    February 6, 2023
    Statens Vegvesen is working to solve the challenges related to the bridges that are still closed after the collapse of a bridge in Tretten last August.
  • New Norwegian road firm being formed
    April 16, 2015
    A new road company is being established in Norway. The country’s government made the decision to form the new firm, which will be responsible for seven major road projects in Norway in the coming 20 years. It will be financed by government subsidies and road tolls. Some €15.35 billion will be used by the company. Planned projects include different sections on the E39, E18 and E6 roads. The Norwegian Standing Committee on Transport and Communications (Transport- og kommunikasjonskomiteen) said that the new c
  • Progress delayed on Kenya's vital highway link
    February 16, 2012
    Kenya is investing in road developments , reports Shem Oirere. A multi-million dollar highway expansion project in Kenya's capital Nairobi may now be delayed for close to a year because of a huge underground network of water, electricity and communication pipes and cables that has slowed down construction works.
  • Stockholm’s new bypass
    March 8, 2021
    Tunnels make up 18km of the 21km of the Swedish capital’s E4 Bypass mega-project. It will have taken 15 years from start to opening in 2030, if all goes well