Norway greenlights first full-scale ship tunnel

Norway will start building the first full-size ship tunnel in the world next year after the government allocated NOK 8.6bn (£671m) in its budget for the long-delayed project. The Stad Ship Tunnel project will allow coastal ferries and small passenger ships to bypass the Stad peninsula in Norway’s Vestland county for the first time. The Stad peninsula is considered to be one of the most dangerous and exposed areas along the Norwegian coast for ships, and some 33 maritime deaths have occurred in the area since the Second World War. Ships also have to contend with storms that occur along the peninsula for roughly 100 days in the average year, frequently forcing them to drop anchor and wait until the weather has cleared. The tunnel will allow them to bypass this and ensure uninterrupted navigation, regardless of the weather above. Going through the near 2km tunnel rather than sailing all the way around the peninsula will only take 10 minutes at a speed of eight knots, helping to cut total journey lengths in the area by around 56 kilometres. Tunnelling through a thick rock layer requires a ‘drill and blast’ process, with materials delivered by sea, owing to limited local road infrastructure. A rock wall will be used to keep the tunnel free of water during construction, during which approximately three million cubic metres of rock will require removal. The Norwegian parliament is preparing to finalise the budget for the project on 19 June, with an eye to starting construction works in early 2027. The tender competition for the main contract has been ongoing for nearly two years. In April, the Norwegian Coastal Administration received final bids from AF Gruppen, Eiffage Génie Civil and the Skanska/Vassbakk & Stol consortium. Once the contract award is announced, there will be a standstill period for any complaints before it can be signed as planned. After conflicting reports about the economic feasibility of building the tunnel during the 2000s, it was finally included in Norway’s National Transport Plan in 2013. Debates continued about whether to press ahead with the project until 2021 when the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications finally gave approval for preparations to begin. It is expected to be open to boat traffic from 2031.