1.7km Tunnel through Norwegian mountain creates a short cut for Ships
The Norwegian Coastal Administration is planning the world’s first full-scale ship tunnel to allow vessels to travel through a mountain rather than navigate the treacherous waters of the Stadhavet Sea the most exposed, and most dangerous area along the coast of Norway.
The 1.7km long tunnel will be 26.5m wide and able to accommodate 70 to 120 ships a day, and located in the Stad peninsula that would allow vessels to avoid the Stadhavet, where the North and Norwegian seas meet, creating an unpredictable combination of tides and winds, and where many lives have been lost over the years.
The tunnel is part of Norway’s 2014-23 National Transport Plan, and a feasibility study is under way at present with construction planned for 2019. Construction may start in 2019 and is expected to take up to four years to build, with an estimated project cost of US$ 235m (NOK 2billion).
The tunnel that was designed by Snøhetta, runs between Selje and Moldefjord. A bridge will be built over the southern access point, allowing visitors to watch the ships as they pass.
Key Project Statistics
- Length: 1,700 metres
- Height between ground and ceiling: 49 metres
- Width between tunnel walls: 36 metres
- Cross-sectional area: 1,625 square metres
- Volume of solid rock to be removed: 3 million cubic metres
