Norway is building one of the longest and deepest underwater tunnels in the world, which is one of the most ambitious engineering projects in Europe, expected to improve transportation connectivity.
The Rogaland Tunnel or Rogfast will be 26.7 kilometers long, and its deepest point will be at 390 meters. When it is built, which should be in the summer of 2033, the travel time between two major Norwegian cities, Stavanger and Bergen, will be shortened by 40 minutes. The tunnel will be part of the main European highway E39, which also runs along the western coast of Norway.
By connecting cities such as Kristiansand, Stavanger, and Haugesund, there will be no need for ferry transport.
“Stavanger is the fourth largest city in Norway, and Bergen is the second largest, so we hope that travel time will be shortened for workers who travel daily to Stavanger or Bergen,” said Oddvar Kaarmo, project manager of Rogaland at the Norwegian Public Roads Administration.
One of the key features
One of the key features of this project will be the junction point of the island of Kvitsoy, which is the smallest municipality in the country, with the main tunnel that has two lanes in both directions. That junction point is actually two roundabouts that will be 260 meters below the sea. However, as Kaarmo pointed out, they have previously made roundabouts in tunnels, but not like it will be in this project.
With these two roundabouts under the mentioned island, traffic will be possible when one of the lanes is closed.
“If something happens and we have to close part of the tunnel, we will still be able to use one tube of the tunnel,” Kaarmo adds.
The twin-tube structure is also a safety solution.
“If a truck catches fire in front of you and you can’t turn around and drive away, you can just look for an exit door and you’ll be able to get to the other tube of the tunnel. Video surveillance will allow us to know exactly where you are, come to get you, and evacuate you,” Kaarmo emphasized.
Norwegian experience in tunnel construction
The construction of this tunnel, which is being carried out in phases, will cost 25 billion Norwegian kroner (four billion BAM). Work began in 2018, and half of the tunnel has been built.
“In Norway, we build tunnels quite cheaply if you, for example, compare it with a bridge. We have 40 underwater road tunnels and are familiar with construction. So it is usually easier and cheaper to build an underwater road tunnel than a bridge,” claims Kaarmo.
Authorities estimate that by 2053 there will be 13.000 trips daily through the new tunnel, Klix.ba writes.
