Statens vegvesen - E39 Rogfast, English version

This is how Rogfast will be when we are finished in 2026.

[@oh2mp]

I live in Finland and I have driven through over 230 road tunnels in Norway including eg. Lærdalstunnelen and Nordkapptunnelen. When that tunnel will be ready, I definitely will come to Norway once again and drive through it.

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

This is far and away the very very best animation of a construction project that I have ever been blessed to see. Thank you. Thank you.

[@korakys]

I was investigating whether a tunnel connecting New Zealand's North and South Islands is even technically feasible and arrived at this video. It would only have to be a little deeper and about twice as long than this but it would go through a very seismically active area, so not sure, but that Rogfast is even feasible is unexpected to say the least.

[@campbellsadeghy213]

This is amazing! The US needs to pick up the ball again with its engineering because it is falling behind. Hell, here in the Los Angeles area we couldn’t even get a small 4 mike tunnel built under South Pasadena. The cost estimates at that were around 8-11 billion. Congrats to your new tunnel. Though 2026 is a ways away, this is a huge project. I am jealous and can’t wait to one day clinch this tunnel. Much respect!

[@leifkarespartveit9647]

And the next project on the same road from Bergen to Stavanger in Norway is called Hordfast, with this brigde - probably building start from 2021 kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4LRZaB4a7-cndk

[@Andreas4696]

Yep, this is going to be awesome. I'm proud to be Norwegian. One thing you should take into consideration is that America already has a great infrastructure network. Sure, it has potholes and maintenance problems, but at least you have interstates. In Norway, we make due with crappy 2-lane roads between our biggest cities. It's ridiculous.

[@campbellsadeghy213]

It looks like Norway is trying to solve that! Are there more plans for interstate quality freeways further inside the country?

[@Andreas4696]

There are. Within 10-15 years, we should controlled-access highway between Oslo-Kristiansand-Stavanger-Bergen, and a few hundred miles will be built on the stretch between Oslo and Trondheim, but they won't turn the entire road into interstate according to the plans. And there won't be built any freeways directly from Oslo to Bergen, but they'll at least improve that road. The reason we're seeing development now is because the Labor Party, which doesn't prioritize infrastructure, was voted out a few years ago.

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

(02:00) What, no comment on the underwater roundabouts? Nearly as cool as the one up north in/under the Faroe Islands, but still worth highlighting in this fine example of what humanity can do

[@billbailey9785]

Well try thinking of it as an emergency exit half way along a very long very deep tunnel. It also speeds up construction with tunnelling possible from the middle out. Unless of course you think it only goes to Kvitoy. Take look at the long rail tunnels just and being built in Europe, same principle.

[@tomi9994]

Awesome. How expensive will the gothrough fee be though @Vegvesenet?

[@KjartanAndersen]

Statens Vegvesen: Yes

[@x1achilles99]

This reminds me of Caltrans, the roadwork department here in California. Starting in the 1960s, they created such a massive industrial "machine" funded at the time by surplus revenue. The "machine" couldn't be stopped and became politically impossible to de-fund. Now we have freeways everywhere which were followed quickly by insensitive development. It really created the environmental disaster we have now. The state is addicted to the building of roads. The powerful construction corporations have no intention of letting the gravy train end. Be careful Norway.

[@BubblesBub434]

seems completely ridiculous to me to not make this a railway tunnel (with possible motorail service). Having private vehicles driving 300m below surface level in its associated high temperatures, all while under an ocean, 10km slopes of 5+% downwards... It's a huge security risk, that, even if you build expensive service tunnels to allow people an emergency way out in case of (inevitable and regular) calamity, will lead to long-term tunnel closures regularly. Railway from Stavanger to Bergen via Haugesund would fit sustainable development goals better as well.

[@MathieuDublanc1]

Bro open google maps and search for Norway. It's a fucking countries with massive fjords, mountains, and millions of lakes and islands. All that with just 5.5milions people. Cars is necessary there.

[@Adrenaline_chaser]

I don't get why these tunnels aren't straight. It looks like they could reduce some distance between the destinations by straightening them up. Lots of their curvatures seems unnecessary. If there's a plausible reason then forgive me for my ignorance😅

[@norastorm99]

I think it's for security idk

[@sternreport]

Main reason is the steepness they need space to go down on a reasonable decent for the cars or sometimes trains the other important factor is the depth of the ocean, there are huge differences on the dephts depending on where you put the tunnel, so in a straight line the ocean might actually be deeper, normally the closer they stay to land the less they have to go down, also here they connect the island as an emergency exit so they need the curve. But well the main factor is depth and terrain, there could be different or harder stone at a different spot which is not safe or easy enough to tunnel...

[@adamwnt]

it follows the shallowest depth of the seabed in that area known for being very deep. Tunnels are not floating, but go below the seabed.

[@ReplicaGt]

could also mention that straight roads are not legal in this country, all roads are made with a curve, this is to make sure people can see further and not just the car infront of you

[@lpdude2005]

In Norway, we are used to examining rocks because you do it under the sea by oil exploration. Norway consists of a number of rocks and some are very expensive to secure - or it may be impossible due to mass transfer and water penetration. Therefore, the most stable layer for tunnels is preferred.

[@bengtstoretvedt6586]

The project was just given green light. Construction will start 2022.

[@x1achilles99]

Amazing graphics! Beautiful. But engineers would connect every island in the world with a bridge or tunnel. I don't think they see the beautiful simplicity of a ferry crossing or the special serenity only found on islands unconnected by road.

[@Youtube_Stole_My_Handle_Too]

Don't you worry, Norway got 240,000 islands and 130 ferries taking 20M vehicles each year. 1200 tunnels.

[@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188]

Oh I love ferries. Sitting and looking at seagulls trying to catch what is thrown to them! But indeed not if I need to go to somewhere and have to wait for the ferry to sail - for hours and then sitting on the ferry. Its a total waste of time and mostly also expensive!. As a Dane we had ferries at many places which are now mostly converted into bridges and tunnels which are there to use - all the time! 😄

[@MathieuDublanc1]

Bro ever been to Norway in winter? You will not think ferries on the atlantic ocean diring rainstorms are nice. Maybe can be cut off for several hours or days.

[@alexanderphillip8585]

92m 390m

[@VirtuellJo]

Finished in 2032-34 some time...

[@MathieuDublanc1]

Nope, opens in 2026. Norway is a serious country

[@havardhovdet9217]

@@MathieuDublanc1 Construction was delayed, but it's well underway now. Currently scheduled to be open for traffic in 2033.

[@TomW]

A billion dollars for a tunnel to connect an island with 500 people? Crazy!

[@royjacobsen1404]

Your numbers are way off. Karmoy is the most densely populated Island in all of Norway 33,000+ and the west coast of Norway is the most settled. Roy

[@mariuskvinnesland9872]

it is not built to connect the island that is just a bonus. The main purpose of the tunnel is to eliminate the ferry crossing which is part of the main road between Stavanger and Bergen.

[@blanco7726]

@@royjacobsen1404 no you are way off my friend, this tunnel stops at a small island with villages such as Kvistoy or Ydstebohavn with barely 1000 inhabitants. Karmoy is 25km away from this island and 15km off the path of the E39. Nothing to do with this tunnel.

[@blanco7726]

And to add, I'm sure the engineers have made their estimates and dont want to shit on the State's money, but it seems to me as well that this is a crazy uneconomical project. If you look at the E39, you can see they already built a tunnel network to extend the motorway from Randeberg (Stavanger) across two islands and onto a third until it transfers to ferry at Mortavika, which is 8km away from Arsvagen, where the E39 continues and where this new tunnel is supposed to connect. But the new tunnel would be 20+km in 2 straight lines, passing through a barely inhabited island, while they could build a 8km tunnel where the motorway is currently being served by ferry. Not only are they spending money to build this connection, but they have now also spent money on bringing the E39 up to Mortavika, only for that section of the motorway to be rendered useless and only be a connection for a couple thousand people.

[@Youtube_Stole_My_Handle_Too]

@@blanco7726 It's economically justified with a traffic increase of 23%. Estimation shows it will be more than twice.

[@jerrynadler2883]

why tho?

[@VirtuellJo]

To cut travel time by almost an hour.

[@gw8278]

What, trying to decimate your ferry/shipping industries?

[@MathieuDublanc1]

It's not a business, it is a cost for the country