Norway greenlights first full-scale ship tunnel
7 hours ago
- #Maritime Safety
- #Infrastructure
- #Tunnel Construction
- Norway will construct the world's first full-size ship tunnel, with construction expected to begin in 2027, funded by a government allocation of NOK 8.6bn.
- The Stad Ship Tunnel, nearly 2km long, will allow coastal ferries and small passenger ships to bypass the dangerous Stad peninsula, reducing journey lengths by about 56 kilometers and improving safety.
- The tunnel will enable uninterrupted navigation regardless of weather, avoiding the approximately 100 storm days per year in the area, which has seen 33 maritime deaths since WWII.
- Construction involves a 'drill and blast' process through thick rock, removing about three million cubic meters of rock, with materials delivered by sea due to limited local roads.
- The project was included in Norway's National Transport Plan in 2013, approved for preparations in 2021, and is expected to open to boat traffic by 2031, following ongoing tender processes.