Stad ship tunnel approved

19 April 2017


Norway – Transport Minister Ketil Solvik-Olsen has given the go-ahead to the Stad Tunnel, the world’s first ship tunnel. The announcement came after the release of the country’s National Transport Plan 2018-2029. Funding has been earmarked for the project in the first half of this period. The earliest the project could start is 2019.

The Stad Tunnel will run for 1.7km and have a 49m height and 36m width. Construction time is expected to be three to four years at a cost of EUR 293M, based off a design study that was concluded in 2010. Excavation is expected to be by drill and blast, with 8Mt of rock needing to be removed.

The tunnel will make passage through a hazardous shipping lane much safer. A combination of currents and topography makes navigation very unpredictable and high waves make the exposed region dangerous. Norwegian press has remarked that “even the Vikings feared this water”.