Denmark opens tunnel crossing in Faroe Islands

A modern road transport tunnel linking the Faroe Islands will open to traffic on 19 December 2020.

Eysturoyartunnilin

Circular traffic in an underwater tunnel. Source: twitter.com. Author: Marita á Rógvi’

The Eysturoyartunnilin underwater tunnel will connect the largest and most populous island of Streimoy with Estera Island. It crosses the southern part of the largest fjord Of Scalafjordur and connects the cities of Runavik on its east side and Strandur on the west side.

The three-branch underwater tunnel is 11.24 km long, including a unique roundabout at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. The deepest point of the tunnel is 187 meters below sea level. To ensure traffic safety, the slope of the route does not exceed 5%.

The cost of the project is estimated at 1 billion Danish crowns. The costs are to be recouped by the fee that will be charged for travel in both directions. The opening of the tunnel will reduce the travel time between the town of Torshavn on the island of Stregoy, the capital of the territorial autonomy of the Faroe Islands within the Danish Kingdom, and the town of Runavuyk on the island of Estura almost 5 times – from 74 to 16 minutes.

The contractor for the project was a large Swedish construction concern NCC. The work began in December 2017 and ended in the summer of 2019.

Ncc

On the construction of the tunnel. Source: ncc.com


Note:

The Faroes are part of Denmark and are an archipelago of 18 islands, of which only 1 is uninhabited. Given the complex geographical location, the issue of the organization of transport in the Faroes is very acute, but over time successfully solved.

In 2002, the first 4.9 km underwater tunnel was commissioned, which connected Strama with Wagar Island, home to the only airport on the Faroes. In 2006, a second 6.2-kilometer underwater tunnel, 6.2 kilometers long, was opened between Estura and the major island of Bordeaux.

NCC is currently building another 10.9 km long tunnel linking the islands of Sandoy and Strama.

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