Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TUNNELS IN NORWAY
In November 2000 the world's longest road tunnel, from Lærdal to Aurland (24.51km
long, 7.59km longer than the St Gotthard tunnel in Switzerland), was completed at a total
cost of Nkr1082 million. There are no tolls to use the tunnel as it was paid for entirely by
the national government. The two-lane tunnel, part of the vital E16 road connecting Oslo
and Bergen, reduces the difficulties of winter driving and replaces the lengthy Gudvan-
gen-Lærdal ferry route. It was drilled through very hard pre-Cambrian gneiss, with over
1400m of overhead rock at one point. Motorists should tune into NRK radio when driving
through the tunnel (yes, there are transmitters inside!) in case of emergency.
In addition to Lærdal, there's also the Gudvangentunnelen in Sogn og Fjordane
(11.43km, also on the E16), Folgefonntunnelen in Hardanger (11.15km, on Rv551 passing
beneath the Folgefonn icecap) and the new Jondalstunnelen (10.4km), which helps con-
nect Odda with Jondal, also in Hardangerfjord.
Norway also has a number of undersea tunnels, which typically bore over 200m below
the seabed; Eiksund-tunnelen (7.76km long, connecting Eika island to the mainland in
Møre og Romsdal) is the world's deepest undersea road tunnel at 287m below sea level.
Insurance
Third-party car insurance (unlimited cover for personal injury and Nkr1,000,000 for property
damage) is compulsory and, if you're bringing a vehicle from abroad, you'll have fewer
headaches with an insurance company Green Card. Ensure that your vehicle is insured for
ferry crossings.
If you're renting, it's worth paying extra for comprehensive insurance - in the case of
even a small accident, the difference between having to pay Nkr1000 and Nkr10,000 is
considerable.
Road Conditions
If Norway were Nepal they'd have built a road to the top of (or underneath) Mt Everest.
There are roads that can inspire nothing but profound admiration for the engineering ex-
pertise involved. The longest tunnels link adjacent valleys, while shorter tunnels drill
through rocky impediments to straighten routes. To get an idea of just how hard-won were
Norway's roads and tunnels through the mountains, visit the
Norwegian Museum of Road
History
, outside Lillehammer.
