Skip to main content

Norway’s tunnels face safety concerns

Many of Norway’s road tunnels face safety concerns.
By MJ Woof December 30, 2020 Read time: 1 min
A large number of Norway’s road tunnels do not meet current European safety requirements – image courtesy of © Sjankauskas, Dreamstime.com

A number of road tunnels in Norway face safety concerns. An evaluation of the country’s network has shown that 68 tunnels forming part of the European road system do not meet current European safety requirements.

Upgrading these tunnels so that they meet safety requirement has been described as highly necessary by the European Free Trade Associations surveillance body, ESA. According to the ESA, the Norwegian Government has to prioritise the improvement works.

The road tunnel improvement programme is already underway, but the upgrade work will take several years to complete.

Related Content

  • Norway’s record breaking undersea road tunnel
    February 25, 2015
    The world's deepest road tunnel is currently in construction near Stavanger in Norway but is only the prelude to even larger projects - report and photographs by Adrian Greeman. Norway's convoluted coastline of fjords and high mountains is famously scenic but also a major problem for transport and connections. The country has long experience of constructing tunnels as a result. Now a series of tunnels underway, or in design, around the oil industry city of Stavanger will stretch its skills more than usual.
  • Nordic road conditions vary
    February 8, 2021
    Nordic road conditions vary between Sweden and Norway.
  • Norway’s massive Rogfast Tunnel project
    December 11, 2018
    The world's longest and deepest road tunnel is underway in western Norway - Adrian Greeman reports
  • Norway’s bridges cause for concern
    November 10, 2017
    Concern is being expressed over official reports in Norway that 1,087 of Norway’s 16,971 bridges are in need of repairs. The structures in question feature damage that is considered substantial enough to affect their load capacity or safety. The reports also reveal that just eight of the country’s bridges have been inspected since 2013. Norway’s Public Road Administration (Statens Vegvesen) has the task of inspecting the country’s bridges and ensuring they meet requirements. However there are concerns over