Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

Norway is constructing one of the longest underwater road tunnels in the world, a 26.5 km long passage that will run at depths of several hundred meters, Azernews reports.

The Boknafjord tunnel will connect the Randaberg and Bukne districts, regions currently linked by ferry, significantly reducing travel time along the E39 coastal highway. The new tunnel will cut 11 hours from the current journey, which spans from Kristiansand in the south to Trondheim in central Norway. Motorists now spend 21 hours on this route.

The four-lane tunnel, which will cost about $38 per vehicle and take 35 minutes to traverse, is being carved into the rock. The overall project is valued at over $2 billion. Once completed, the Boknafjord tunnel is expected to boost tourism and increase cargo traffic along Norway’s western coast.

This ambitious project is part of a larger effort to modernize the entire E39 highway, with an estimated cost of nearly $45.5 billion. A key component of the E39 modernization is the construction of floating underwater tunnels. These innovative structures will consist of two large curved concrete tubes, one for each direction of travel, located at depths of 20-30 meters. They will be suspended on pontoons floating at the surface of the sea, providing a cutting-edge solution to overcoming challenging coastal geography.

The Boknafjord tunnel and its sister projects aim to transform Norway’s transportation infrastructure, offering faster, more efficient travel and improving connectivity between key cities. With the addition of these floating tunnels, the country is setting a global precedent for large-scale underwater transportation projects, drawing international attention for their innovative approach to road engineering.