The mammoth Rogfast tunnel is scheduled to open in 2033 and will become the world’s longest and deepest road tunnel – costing £36billion, the project will half the time it takes to drive across a crucial European route Work to construct the world’s longest and deepest road tunnel is underway – and it’s set to cost a whopping £36billion.

The record-breaking project, dubbed The Rogfast, is currently pencilled for opening in Norway in 2033. The 16mi, 1,300ft-deep underwater route will run between the municipalities of Randaberg and Bokn in Rogaland county, in turn making travel between Norway’s southern and northern cities much easier.

Currently, Randaberg and Bokn are separated by a large body of water. You can only cross between the two on a ferry. In linking these two places with an underwater road, the Rogfast will half the amount of time it takes to travel across Norway on the E39 coastal highway.

The E39 highway between Kristiansand and Trondheim currently takes 21 hours and stretches 680mi. This project will shave off just 30mi but will save 11 hours by cutting out the need for ferries. The Rogcast will help millions of people commute to the cities of Stavanger and Bergen, situated along the E39 highway. Despite being the world’s longest and deepest underwater tunnel, it will take just 35 minutes to drive across it.

According to The B1M, the Norwegian government will fund around 40% of the project. The rest is to come from a £30 toll on the underwater road, with 6,000 vehicles expected to use it every day.

Rogfast project manager Oddvar Kaarmo said: “The port at Mortavika is quite exposed and in the winter, ferries sometimes have to divert to another port.

“Once the tunnel is finished, we will not have to rely on good weather to keep the roads open. About half a year after the last drill and blast, we have to deliver the project, so we have to get a lot of work done simultaneously. It’s more about logistics than tunnelling.”

The Rogcast is expected to open in 2033 ( 

Image:

Norwegian Public Roads Administration)

Norway’s Lærdal tunnel is currently the longest underwater road in the world. It spans 15 miles and connects the municipalities of Lærdal and Aurland in Vestland county, crucially providing a ferry-free route between the capital Oslo and Bergen. It cost nearly £90million to complete and was opened in 2000.

Visitors can drive through it and take in the fjord in Flåm before returning via the Aurlandsfjellet plateau on the Snow Road between Aurlandsvangen and Lærdalsøyri. the road is said to be quite a journey.

Travel guides and experts from Visit Norway say this is an opportunity not to be missed.

It was lauded by tourism bosses on the site who said: “This is an opportunity to experience the mountain from both outside and in! If you have time, you should visit the 800-year-old Borgund Stave Church in Lærdal, one of the most visited and photographed stave churches. ”