The world’s first full-size ship tunnel will carry a whopping £671million price tag – despite spanning a distance of just over a mile.
Norway has approved construction of the world’s first ocean ship tunnel. Subject to final parliamentary budget approval, work on the Stad Ship Tunnel will commence along the country’s west coast.
Ground works are set to kick off in 2027, with projections indicating the project could be completed by 2032.
The tunnel will link two fjords on the Stadlandet Peninsula – Moldefjord to Kjødepollen – across a stretch of just 1.7km (1.06 miles). This extends to 2.2km (1.4m) when including the entrance structures built out into the water to safely guide vessels into the portal.
So why is Norway proposing to splash out such an enormous sum of money on covering such a short distance?, reports the Express. There is actually a perfectly logical explanation behind the decision.
View 3 ImagesThe tunnel will be just over one mile long(Image: Norwegian Coastal Administration)
The Norwegian Coastal Administration, which is leading the project, aims to establish a safe alternative route to avoid the Stadhavet Sea.
The stretch of water is classified by maritime authorities as one of the most treacherous on the planet. It is the most exposed part of Norway’s coastline, battered by storms for around 100 days each year.
These hazardous conditions cause significant delays, logistical headaches and present a serious danger to passenger ferries, fishing fleets and cargo vessels alike. The Norwegian Coastal Administration aims to address the problem by building a tunnel connecting both sides of the peninsula.
The passage would be sizeable enough to accommodate regular traffic from fishing vessels to ferries and cruise liners.
The scheme has been discussed for years, such is the chaos that section of water can create.
It was originally given the green light by the Norwegian parliament in 2021 but the proposal was abandoned last year owing to soaring costs.
However, the scheme has now been resurrected after the government approved a revised budget.
View 3 ImagesThe idea is to bypass a treacherous stretch of water(Image: Norwegian Coastal Administration)
The Norwegian Coastal Administration is currently evaluating bids from contractors and if everything stays on schedule, major excavation and blasting are anticipated to commence early next year.
It will measure 50 metres high from ceiling to floor and 36 metres wide. It is designed to comfortably accommodate enormous ships of up to 16,000 gross tonnes.
The tunnel will take approximately 10 minutes to navigate at a strict speed limit of around five (roughly 5.75 miles per hour) to eight knots (roughly 9.21 miles per hour).
And unlike the Rogfast road tunnel, which Norway is building as the deepest and longest undersea road tunnel, there will be no charges to use it. The tunnel will be entirely free for traffic.
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Norwegian authorities hope it will deliver a boost to the nation’s shipping industry. Tore O. Sandvik, county mayor in the region of Trøndelag, said: “If we are to export salmon from Trøndelag to the continent, we cannot risk the salmon getting stuck at Stad in bad weather. Then it is served as rakfisk [Norwegian Fermented Fish], and not as sushi when it arrives on the continent.”