Norway is famous for having some
of the most scenic routes in the world. From lightning-speed rails to
self-driving cars, transportation technology has become more and more futuristic
over the past decades. Norway is such a small country is positively leading
with modernization with its plans to spend a huge $25 billion on a “submerged
floating bridge” that will be the first of its kind in the world, and can cut hectic
travel times from 21 hours down to less than 11 hours. A feasibility study
conducted in 2012 by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA) publicized
that the floating tunnel could be the best way to bridge the fjord.
Moreover, Norway has around 1,190
fjords, and their values leaves vast and lovely environments, they present
major logistical challenges for traveling residents and visitors alike. People
are currently forced to take ferries, which are tiresome and slow, or even drive
hours out of the way to cross the fjords. The gigantic underwater tunnel could exactly
save an entire day of travel. The massive tunnel is being proposed as part of an
enormous infrastructure upgrade to highway E39 in Norway, which runs from
Kristiansand in the south to Trondheim in the north. The lavish proposed tunnel
would be made up of large tubes suspended less than 100 feet of water and each
one will be ample wide for two lanes of traffic. Therefore, being underwater
protects the tunnel from harsh Norwegian weather, and ships and ferries would
still be able to pass above. The 684 miles long route cuts across 7 fjords
including “Sognefjord”, the largest and best known fjord in Norway and the 2nd
longest in the world. “Sognefjord “is over 4,000 feet deep and 3,000 feet wide.
The project also happens to preserve the landscape for those who still want to
take the scenic route.
Though there are still numerous unidentified
factors about the construction, maintenance and execution of the bridge, there
is one important thing the government is not worried about. Norwegians are
quite used to going underwater in tunnels, the project manager overseeing the
revamping of the E39 route. Moreover presently Norway already has 1,150
tunnels, 35 of which go under water. The gigantic tunnel is expected to complete
in by 2035, and if the project proves to be too problematic or expensive, other
transportation proposals including a floating bridge or a suspension bridge may
be considered.