Skip to main content

Norway’s long tunnel looks set to beat records

Norway looks set to retain its position as a leader in tunnelling with the project moving forward to build a new link connecting the city of Stavanger with Bokn. This 27km road tunnel is being designed to carry four lanes of traffic, which would make it the world’s longest underwater road tunnel. It will also be the world’s longest four lane tunnel as well as the world’s deepest road tunnel, dropping around 385-390m below sea level. The Rogaland Fixed Link will form part of the E39 route, connecting Kristia
September 19, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Norway looks set to retain its position as a leader in tunnelling with the project moving forward to build a new link connecting the city of Stavanger with Bokn. This 27km road tunnel is being designed to carry four lanes of traffic, which would make it the world’s longest underwater road tunnel. It will also be the world’s longest four lane tunnel as well as the world’s deepest road tunnel, dropping around 385-390m below sea level. The Rogaland Fixed Link will form part of the E39 route, connecting Kristiansand, Stavanger, Haugesund and Bergen in the south of Norway.

Also known as the Rogfast, the tunnel runs from Harestad in Randaberg to Arsvågen in Bokn. In addition to the main tunnel there will additional 4km link to the island of Kvitsøy. Once the tunnel is open, it will shorten the journey time between Stavanger and Norway’s second city, Bergen.

The project forms part of a plan by the Norwegian Government to improve road links in the country and to construct bridges and tunnels so that drivers no longer have to use ferries or take long detours. The project is being planned by Norconsult and the tunnel is expected to cost in the region of €1.5-€1.6 billion to build, with tolls paying back a chunk of the construction costs. The link is expected to open to traffic in 2025 or 2026.

Related Content

  • Norway mulls new routes across the vast Hardangervidda plateau
    November 2, 2015
    Norway is considering proposals for another route across over the vast Hardangervidda, one of Europe’s largest plateaux and most of which is a national park. The Norwegian Road Administration (Statens Vegvesen) said one proposal would incorporate a 6km tunnel at a cost more than €216 million, according to a report the Nationen newspaper.
  • Boom in Asian infrastructure investment
    February 8, 2012
    Investment in China and India continues unabated, but other nations on the continent are eager to attract companies as Patrick Smith reports Asia is still booming despite the current economic crisis, and new infrastructure programmes are constantly coming on stream. Powerhouses China and India, with their double-digit growth figures and huge infrastructure plans (in scope and cost), are leading the way and are still magnets for businesses wishing to expand, both in terms of facilities and customers. But oth
  • China is considering a massive tunnelling project
    August 22, 2013
    The Chinese authorities have announced plans to construct the world’s longest undersea tunnel. Measuring a colossal 123km long, the tunnel route runs under the Bohai Sea and is intended to connect Dalian in Liaoning Province with Yantai in Shandong Province. The tunnel was first proposed in the mid-1990s when it was expected to cost in the region of US$10.3 billion to build but the project was shelved due to the enormous construction challenges it posed. However tunnelling technology has moved on and the Ch
  • Norwegian road projects planned
    October 22, 2021
    The Norwegian Government is planning a series of major road projects.