On April 5, the Norwegian government approved the world’s first ship tunnel, a bold scheme to cut a passage through the bottom of the Stad peninsula. Procurement of the $315-million project could start in 2019 or 2020. Three to four years’ construction would follow.
Passing up to 350 meters below mountaintops, the 1.7-kilometer-long Stad tunnel is planned to be 49 m tall and 36 m wide, calling for some 3 million cu m of hard-rock excavation. With both sides set at sea level, the maximum water current flowing through the tunnel is forecast to be 2 knots, says Terje Andreassen, project manager with the Norwegian Coastal Authority (NCA).