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They say space is the final frontier, but for my money, we don’t have to look any further than the bottom of the oceans right here on Earth.
So, I’m not sure how good I would feel about driving sixteen miles underwater through a tunnel.
I mean…haven’t we learned our lesson about how humans don’t belong down there yet?
Apparently not, because Norway is busy constructing the longest and deepest road tunnel that has ever passed beneath the ocean’s surface.
The project, known as the Rogfast, is about 16.5 miles long and is being built almost 1,300 feet under the sea. They hope to open it for public use in 2033 to help connect a highway along the country’s west coast, circumventing what is now a 21-hour drive (or requires the use of multiple ferries).
The Rogfast would cut the journey in half.
SKANSA
The corridor runs from Kristiansand to Trondheim, linking the municipalities by road and eliminating the need for ferry service in some areas. People who live in these regions often work in the oil and seafood industries, and the large population means the Rogfast tunnel could handle around 6,000 vehicles per day.
Oddvar Kaarmo, the Rogfast project manager, told Euronews they are excited at the propect.
“Stavagner is the fourth-largest city in Norway, and Bergen is the second largest, so we hope that it’s possible that this project will be able to reduce traveling time for workers as well when they are traveling to either Stavanger or Bergen on a daily basis.”
Crews began construction in 2018, and are drilling and blasting through almost 280 million cubic feet of rock. There will be two tunnels around 50 feet apart, and each will allow for 2 lanes of traffic. It should take drivers around 35 minutes to traverse the entire thing at a speed of around 30mph.
IMPLENIA
If you’re wondering about the price tag, be prepared to be amazed – it comes it at anywhere between $2 billion and $2.4 billion, with around 40% of the funding coming from the Norwegian government. The remainder will be recouped from tolls once the tunnel opens.
Would you drive in this thing?
I don’t know…I definitely wouldn’t want to go first.
If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about why we should be worried about the leak in the bottom of the ocean.