The Ministry of Transport and Communications has given the green light to the Swedish Road Administration’s plans to upgrade the longest road tunnel in the world. The consequences will be big for one of the main roads between Bergen and Oslo. For several years, the discussion has been about how the upgrade should proceed. Last year, the National Roads Administration came up with the proposal to close the tunnel for a whole year, which caused an uproar among many. – It is not possible to upgrade the tunnel without having consequences for the environment. We have come to the conclusion that evening and night closures are better than closing the tunnel completely, says Stig Berg-Thomassen, head of tunnel upgrading in the west of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. Work on the Lærdal tunnel will start in 2025. The upgrade is planned to be completed within four to five years. The tunnel will be closed from 18.00-06.00, but a plan has not yet been made for how the work will be carried out at weekends. There are EU requirements for securing tunnels which mean that the Norwegian Road Administration has to make upgrades. Lærdal mayor Audun Mo believes that night closing is a solution to live with, but that it will have consequences for an entire region. – Concerned for the transport industry The transport industry has taken a dark view of the upgrading of the two and a half mile long tunnel on the E16. The industry has feared both breakdowns in the transport of goods and major job losses. – This will be regrettable for transport history and for transport in Sogn, says Arne Slinde Ahlin, day-to-day manager of Slinde Transport. The main base for Slinde transport is on Håbakken along the E16 close to the Lærdal tunnel. Ahlin is aware that this will create major challenges for them, but that evening and night closures will be a good solution for the local community. No convoy driving in the first years Work on the tunnel will be split in two. With evening and night closures, it will take two to three years to complete the blasting work in the tunnel. Aurland mayor Trygve Skjerdal is particularly worried about the consequences a closure will have on preparedness in the municipality. Emergency vehicles will also not be able to pass through during blasting work. – The mountain in the tunnel will be demanding for the tunnel workers. That’s why we can’t let through traffic until we’ve blasted and secured the mountain, says Berg-Thomassen in the Swedish Road Administration. Only after the blasting work and securing is finished, they will be able to tow through traffic two to three times during the evening and night. About 2,000 vehicles drive through the tunnel every 24 hours on average over the course of a year. July is high season, when almost 3,900 vehicles drive through the tunnel every day. There are no good local detours between Lærdal and Aurland. The trip from the center of Aurland to the center of Lærdal through the Lærdal tunnel (route 1) is 33 kilometers and takes about half an hour to drive. Aurlandsfjellet (route 2). A narrow and winding road that is closed for winter seven months a year, where tourist chaos often reigns in the summer. The trip takes 40 minutes longer than the tunnel. County road 50 around Gol in Viken county (route 3). Driving time is over three hours longer than the Lærdal tunnel. National highway 13 over Vikafjellet (route 4). The trip takes about 3.5 hours longer than the tunnel. Visualisation: Anders Nøkling During the work on the tunnel, it is relevant to strengthen the ferry service on the rv. 13 Vangsnes-Hella, and passenger transport by boat between Lærdal and Aurland when there is a need for it.
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Closes the Lærdal tunnel and the E16 in the evening and at night – news Vestland
