The world’s first full-scale ship tunnel would cut through the narrowest part of the Stad Peninsula, bypassing the treacherous seas along the Norway’s northwestern coast and creating a safer passage for ships to reach the Stadhavet Sea.
The finished tunnel will measure 1.7km long, 26.5m wide and 37m in height and is expected to take 3-4 years to complete.
The proposed path cuts through the innermost part of the peninsula, and would prevent the need for ships to travel through some of the roughest seas in Europe.
Project Manager Terje Andreassen said in an interview “First we will drill horizontally and use explosives to take out the roof part of the tunnel. Then all bolts and anchors to secure the roof rock before applying shotcrete. The rest of the tunnel will be done in the same way as in open mining. Vertical drilling and blasting with explosives down to the level of 12 m (42 ft) below the sea level”.
Work on the tunnel is planned to start in early 2019.