Norway’s idea of a submerged floating tunnel has lighted up the media for some time now.
China is going to build a similar facility. So far, these plans go no further than cost estimates and economic feasibility studies, but there are fewer and fewer doubts that the projects will be started. The revolutionary concept is that these tunnels can be laid across straits or harbors of any depth and will be able to deal with storms easier than bridges.
Norway already has experience with several subsea road tunnels across the fjords, the longest of them Karmøy, almost 9 km long, opened in 2013 as part of the Route E39 coastal highway. By 2034, the country plans to complete the upgrade plan for the E39 with no ferry crossings left. The Norwegian companies Reinertsen, DeepOcean, Snøhetta and Dr. techn. Olav Olsen AS are currently involved in the project, as well as foreign aluminum companies Hydro and Sapa. Norway is Western Europe’s top aluminum producer, and the seventh in the world.
The so-called Archimedes bridge projects across the fjords are part of Norway’s overall strategy for modernizing its road network, especially the E39, which runs along the ocean coast across the fjords. With $42.3 bln invested over the course of its use, this highway is the most expensive project in the history of Norway. The high cost is mainly due to the need to build the road in the mountains, make tunnels in them and build bridges. This project is 20 years old, but it seems to be entering its most expensive phase now. The E39 is one of its most important parts.
By Roman Mamchits