Norway plans to build the world’s longest and deepest underwater road tunnel, the Rogfast, with a $46 billion budget.
Set to open in 2033, this tunnel will extend 16 miles and reach depths of 1,300 feet, enhancing connectivity between Norway’s southern and northern regions.
Norway is building the longest underwater floating road tunnel pic.twitter.com/LT49nsPQH5
— World of Art and Culture (@worldartira) August 24, 2024It will connect Randaberg and Bokn in Rogaland county, where currently ferries are the main transportation mode. According to the Mirror, the ferry journey between Kristiansand and Trondheim along the E39 takes 21 hours. The Rogfast tunnel will reduce this time by 11 hours.
Daily, around 6,000 vehicles are expected to use the tunnel.
Despite its record length and depth, travelling through the Rogfast will only take about 35 minutes.
Oddvar Kaarmo, the project manager, pointed out the tunnel’s weather resilience, which contrasts with current ferry routes that often reroute in winter. “The tunnel will ensure consistent, weather-independent connectivity,” he said. He emphasized that logistics, more than tunnelling, dominate the project’s challenges.
Norway’s Lærdal Tunnel is the longest underwater road at 15 miles. Opened in 2000, it links Lærdal and Aurland in Vestland county, offering a direct, ferry-free route between Oslo and Bergen. Constructed at nearly £90 million, it allows drivers to enjoy fjord views in Flåm and return via the Snow Road on the Aurlandsfjellet plateau.
