Norway is undertaking an ambitious project to construct the longest and deepest underwater tunnel in the world, with an estimated cost of $2.4 billion.
The Rogfast tunnel will extend 27 kilometers (13 miles) and will be located 391 meters (1,286 feet) beneath the sea surface.
This infrastructure is set to significantly reduce travel times for those commuting along the western coast of Norway.
Currently, Norway boasts the Lærdal Tunnel, the world’s longest road tunnel, which is 24.5 kilometers (15.2 miles) in length.
By 2033, Norway is expected to secure another significant world record with the completion of the Rogfast tunnel.
This tunnel is a key component of Norway’s broader strategy to establish a ferry-free coastal route known as the E39 highway.
The new tunnel promises a ‘faster and more reliable link’ between Bergen, known as the ‘gateway of the Fjords,’ and Stavanger, the fourth-largest city in Norway, reducing travel time by about 40 minutes.
It will feature two separate tubes with two lanes each, and a unique double roundabout located 260 meters deep, connecting to Kvitsøy island.
Although construction started in 2018, it was paused in 2019 due to financial constraints.
Construction resumed in 2021, with efforts expected to continue over the next eight years.
Currently, the area relies on ferries, but while the new tunnel will replace those jobs, Anne Brit Moen, a construction project manager at Skanska, assures that Rogfast will enhance access to jobs, education, and services for nearby communities, according to CNN.
Moen also highlighted the ‘positive effects on the local economy and the seafood industry, as logistics costs will decrease and companies will operate over a larger area.’
“The project also creates substantial employment during construction and lays the groundwork for more sustainable and integrated regional development along Norway’s fractured western coastline,” she mentioned.
Rogfast, short for Rogaland fastforbindelse, which translates to fixed link in Norwegian, is part of a 1,100 kilometer (684 miles) coastal highway improvement effort.
This extensive E39 highway will stretch from Trondheim in the north to Kristiansand in the south.
The current journey from one end to the other takes 21 hours by car, requiring seven ferries.
Upon completion, the E39 highway will cut travel time in half by eliminating the need for ferries and replacing them with tunnels and bridges.
The full development of the E39 project is projected to finish by 2050.
Globally, Japan holds the title for the longest underwater rail tunnel, the Seikan Tunnel, measuring 53.85 kilometers (33.46 miles), which traverses the Tsugaru Strait between Honshu and Hokkaido, reaching a depth of 240 meters (786 feet) below sea level.