Norway will build first ship tunnel that will be 121 feet tall and 87 feed wide and a mile long

Norwegian government has stated that they wish to proceed with a pilot project for a ship tunnel. They are working on the basis of the “large” tunnel alternative. This is considered to have greater potential utility value.

* 3 billion cubic meters (over 105 billion cubic ft) of solid rock removed.
* It will be more than a mile long, 121 feet tall and 87 feet wide
* from a maritime point of view this is still a canal, but with a “roof.”
* expected daily average of 19 ships a day. The tunnel will have a 100 ship a day capacity.
* one-way traffic which will alternate every hour.
* The cost is estimated to be 1.7 billion kr, and construction may start in 2018.

It will provide an economic boost to the fishing industry and have some benefit for fast ferry service.

They 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.

Architecture and design firm Snøhetta will blast a tunnel through a 984 foot tall hill in the peninsula. A tunnel, the Norwegian government hopes, will help make the route safer.

Norway’s Stad peninsula is a notoriously difficult place for ships to pass through. As many as 100 days a year of hurricane weather create huge, choppy waves that give ships a very hard time sailing the coastline, delaying schedules and putting crews at risk.