Tech & Sci
22:41, 09-Apr-2017
Norway to build world's first ship tunnel
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Norway will build the world's first ship tunnel on the Western Stad peninsula to facilitate the navigation of freighters and passenger ships and help them avoid a dangerous coastal area, according to the Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA).
The 1700-meter-long, 37-meter-wide and 26.5-meter-tall tunnel will pass through the narrowest part of the Stad Peninsula, allowing ships to bypass the Stadhavet Sea, which is the most exposed and most dangerous area along the coast of Norway, according to the administration.
A ship tunnel will reduce the risk of incidents and accidents, make the voyage safer for both passengers and ships, and secure regularity. It will also strengthen industrial and commercial activities in the region, the administration said in a report posted on its website.
The ship tunnel will be large enough to accommodate the passenger steamers that travel along Norway’s coastline. /Norwegian Coastal Administration Photo
The ship tunnel will be large enough to accommodate the passenger steamers that travel along Norway’s coastline. /Norwegian Coastal Administration Photo
The total cost of the project is likely to be at least 310 million US dollars, and a sum of 170 million US dollars for the first phase, between 2018 and 2023, is now in place, according to Market Business News.
To dig the tunnel, engineers will have to blast out eight million tons of rocks, which will be used in neighboring municipalities to establish new landmass and expand existing areas for business purposes.
After completion, commercial traffic -- especially passenger traffic -- will be given priority to pass through the tunnel, the administration said, adding that leisure boats and other vessels can also use the tunnel.