A new 'mega-tunnel' is set to make a huge difference for travelers in Norway.
Norway is planning to break ground on a new 'mega tunnel' that will reportedly cut travel time by up to 11 hours. The world’s longest and deepest underwater tunnel will reportedly slash travel times on the E39 coastal highway.
Hoping to connect the districts of Randaberg and Bokn across a 16-mile wide body of water, the tunnel known as 'Rogfast' will apparently take just 35 minutes to drive through.
Drivers will have to pay a toll of around $37, although it should be well worth it.
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The 680-mile journey from Kristiansand in the south to Trondheim in the north currently takes 21 hours along the E39 coastal highway, but thanks to Rogfast, it'll go by in the relative blink of an eye.
The four-lane tunnel will sit at a maximum depth of 1,300ft and is carved through a thick layer of rock under the water. Coming in at an estimated $1.9 billion, the endeavor isn't exactly cheap but should be well worth it.
Plans were originally outlined and approved by the Norwegian parliament in 2017 but fell through in 2019 due to budgeting and contracting concerns.
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Project manager Oddvar Kaarmo has cheered the plans, telling The Guardian how the current route is circumnavigated by seven ferry crossings but bad weather leads to frequent delays or cancelations: "The port at Mortavika is quite exposed, and in the winter, ferries sometimes have to divert to another port.
"Once the tunnel is finished, we will not have to rely on good weather to keep the roads open. About half a year after the last drill and blast, we have to deliver the project, so we have to get a lot of work done simultaneously. It’s more about logistics than tunnelling."
Rogfast is part of a $44 billion upgrade to the E39 road, with 40% of its costs being funded by the taxpayer and the rest hopefully being recouped from toll charges. There were numerous other proposals, with one including 'floating' tunnels that were tied to the sea floor where it was too deep to tunnel.
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Norway is no stranger to this kind of massive construction, currently being home to the world’s longest and deepest sub-sea road tunnel - the 15-mile Norwegian Laerdal tunnel connecting Laerdal to Aurland.
Unfortunately for drivers, Rogfast isn't arriving anytime soon, expected to reach completion in 2033.
The Guardian also notes that there are plans for a €6 billion underwater tunnel that could connect Europe’s high-speed rail network to North Africa via a 17-mile route by 2030.
May 2024 heralded the announcement that Spain’s rail network could soon be connected to the 200mph Al Boraq route that opened in Morocco in 2018. That tunnel is set to depart from Madrid and end in Casablanca, following a route that goes via Algeciras and Tangier while passing under the Strait of Gibraltar.
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If successful, developers want it to open in time for travelers to get there in time for the 2030 Fifa World Cup.