World’s longest road tunnel planned: will plunge 392 meters underground, shorten travel time by 10 hours and will be ready in 2,033 km
The 16-mile-long Rogfast tunnel will burrow through the Boknafjord.
Norway is undertaking the construction of the Rogfast tunnel, poised to become the world’s longest and deepest underwater road tunnel. Stretching 16 miles beneath the Boknafjord, it will connect the municipalities of Randaberg and Bokn in Rogaland County.
At its deepest point, the tunnel will reach 392 meters below sea level, surpassing the current record held by the Lærdal Tunnel, which is also in Norway. They know their tunnels, the Norwegians.
This ambitious project is a key component of the European Route E39 highway upgrade, which will improve the connectivity along Norway’s picturesque west coast.
Norway began Rogfast - the world's deepest (1,286 ft) and longest (17 miles) underwater road tunnel - in 2018.
— Tom Harwood (@tomhfh) March 14, 2021
A Galloway Irish Sea crossing would be ~20 miles long, and Beaufort's Dyke is 1,000 feet deep its lowest point.
Pretty comparable projects.https://t.co/e9bw0VfJCW pic.twitter.com/LkbRrLaKVr
Travel time down from 21 hours to 10.5 hours
By replacing the beautiful but ultimately slow and unreliable ferry crossings (that don’t go ahead in bad weather, for example), the Rogfast tunnel is expected to reduce travel time between Stavanger and Bergen from 21 hours to approximately 10.5 hours, eliminating the need for seven ferry trips and cutting the route by about 31 miles.
“Stavanger is the fourth-largest city in Norway, and Bergen is the second largest, so we hope that it’s possible that this project will be able to reduce travelling time for workers as well when they are travelling to either Stavanger or Bergen on a daily basis,” Oddvar Kaarmo, project manager of the Rogfast project, told Euronews Next.
“We have produced roundabouts in the tunnels before. But this might be one of the earliest constructions where we have this cross-section area with two roundabouts in the tunnel. As far as I know, I haven’t seen two roundabouts in a cross-section area in a tunnel before,” Kaarmo admitted.
Construction began in January 2018 but faced delays due to budget overruns, leading to a temporary halt in 2019. Work resumed in 2021, with the project now slated for completion in 2033.
The estimated cost stands at around NOK 25 billion ($2.68 billion USD), financed through a combination of government funding and toll revenues. Once operational, the tunnel is expected to accommodate approximately 6,000 vehicles daily, significantly improving regional transportation and economic activity.
In April 2023, Bergen opened the world’s longest purpose-built pedestrian and cycling tunnel: the 3,000-metre Fyllingsdalstunnelen.
— Melissa & Chris Bruntlett (@modacitylife) July 29, 2023
Blasted through the base of the 477-metre tall Løvstakken Mountain, the €27-million project directly links the Fyllingsdalen and Mindemyren areas. pic.twitter.com/PAf3wBgFFQ
In addition to the main tunnel, a 2.5 mile spur will connect to the island municipality of Kvitsøy, further enhancing local accessibility.
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