Underground Tunnel for ... Ships
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Norwegian Coastal administration will build the world’s first ship tunnel. It is now formally stated that Stad Ship Tunnel is part of the Norwegian National Transport Plan (NTP) in the period of 2018 to 2029. This paves the way for the Norwegian Coastal Administration efforts to build the world’s first full-scale ship tunnel. The design concept of the tunnel has developed by Norwegian architectural Studio Snøhetta. Working with Olav Olsen of Norwegian consulting firm Norconsult, Snøhetta has designed the two entrances to the tunnel using the material palette of the peninsula, with both wire-cut and blasted stone walls making up the opening arches. On the Moldefjorden side, the design would utilize the steep landscape to create a dramatic entrance. A more sensitive, terraced opening would pop out at Kjødepollen, where a small village is located.
The Stad Ship Tunnel would measure 1.7 kilometers long, 36 meters wide and 49 meters tall – large enough to accommodate full-sized boats such as large cruise ships, sailboats, and coastal steamers. Traffic would pass through one way at a time, but even with a waiting period, the tunnel would chop off significant time and hazard from the existing route around the peninsula.
Historians have even discovered that Vikings often preferred to portage their ships over the 1.7 kilometer stretch than sail through the dangerous seas. The idea for building a ship tunnel through the Stad Peninsula has been discussed for over 100 years, with original plans documented as far back as the 1870s. Estimates show that between 70 and 120 ships could use the tunnel on a daily basis. Calculations performed in conjunction with the technical pilot project shows that the ship tunnel has an estimated cost of NOK 2.7 billion.
THE NORWEGIAN COASTAL ADMINISTRATION
