Norway plans to build an underwater "megatunnel" worth $ 1.9 billion (4 photos)

The record-breaking tunnel will be over 25 km long.





Norway has revealed its plans to build a new underwater megatunnel. The country already holds the record for the longest tunnel in the world, the Lærdal Tunnel, which stretches over 24 km. The tunnel took five years to build and connects the municipalities of Lærdal and Aurland. The passage is so long that the people who designed it had to come up with anti-claustrophobia measures to prevent panic during the journey.

But the Laerdal Tunnel will soon be overshadowed by Norway's next project, a 25km-long underwater megatunnel that will cost more than $1.9 billion to build.

Not only will the tunnel be the longest in the world, it will also be the deepest, with a maximum depth of 396m.

The project is known as Rogfast and will connect the areas of Randaberg and Bokna.



The country currently relies heavily on its coastal highway, the E39, which runs from Trondheim in the far north to Kristiansand in the south. The journey between the two cities takes 21 hours, but Rogfast will cut that time by 11 hours.

It is said to take only about 35 minutes to get from one end of the tunnel to the other. It will reportedly cost drivers $37 to use it.





The current route is interrupted by seven ferry crossings, which are often delayed due to bad weather.

Speaking about Norway's plans, Oddvar Kaarmo, Rogfast's project manager, said: "The port of Mortavika is quite open, and in winter the ferries sometimes have to be rerouted to another port. Once the tunnel is completed, we won't have to rely on good weather to keep the roads open. We have about six months to go from the last drilling and blasting to the delivery of the project, so we have to do a lot of work at the same time. It's more about logistics than about tunnelling."

The construction is expected to be completed in 2033.