World's first ship tunnel will cost £671m – and will be just one mile long

The world’s first full-size ship tunnel will cost a staggering £671million to build – even though it will cover a distance of just over a mile.

Norway has given the green light for construction to begin of the world’s first ocean ship tunnel. If the final budget receives parliamentary approval, work on the Stad Ship Tunnel will begin on the country’s west coast.

Work on the ground is scheduled to begin in 2027 with forecasts suggesting the work could be finished by 2032.

The tunnel will connect two fjords on the Stadlandet Peninsula – Moldefjord to Kjødepollen – across a distance of just 1.7km (1.06 miles). This distance stretches to 2.2km (1.4m) to include the entrance structures built out into the water to guide ships safely into the portal.

Why is Norway proposing splashing out such a vast amount of money on covering such a small distance? Well there’s actually a logic explanation for the decision.

The Norwegian Coastal Administration, which is spearheading the project, wants to create a safe alternative route to bypass the Stadhavet Sea.

The body of water is classified by maritime authorities as one of the most dangerous in the world. It is the most windswept part of Norway’s coastline and is stormy around 100 days every year.

These treacherous conditions cause severe delays, logistical issues and pose a risk for passenger ferries, fishing fleets and cargo ships alike.

The Norwegian Coastal Administration wants to solve the issue by constructing a tunnel linking the two sides of the peninsula. The passage would be large enough to handle regular traffic ranging from fishing boats to ferries and cruise ships.

The project has been debated for years, such is the disruption that stretch of water can cause.

It was initially approved by the Norwegian parliament in 2021 but the plan was shelved last year due to skyrocketing costs.

But the project has now been revived after the government approved a revised budget.

The Norwegian Coastal Administration is now assessing bids from contractors and if everything remains on track, heavy excavation and blasting are expected to begin early next year.

It will 50 meters high from ceiling to floor and 36 meters wide. It is engineered to comfortably fit massive ships of up to 16,000 gross tonnes.

The tunnel will take roughly 10 minutes to sail through at a strict speed limit of around five (roughly 5.75 miles per hour) to eight knots (roughly 9.21 miles per hour).

And unlike the Rogfast road tunnel, which Norway is constructing as the deepest and longest subsea road tunnel, there will be no tolls to use it. The tunnel will be completely free for traffic.

Norwegian authorities hope it will prove a boost to the nation’s shipping industry.

Tore O. Sandvik, county mayor in the region of Trøndelag, said: “If we are to export salmon from Trøndelag to the continent, we cannot risk the salmon getting stuck at Stad in bad weather. Then it is served as rakfisk [Norwegian Fermented Fish], and not as sushi when it arrives on the continent.”