What’s the longest underwater tunnel you’ve ever driven through? The Holland Tunnel to Manhattan, or perhaps the Battery Tunnel to Brooklyn? Well, Norway is laughing at your pathetic American underwater construction, because the country is now working on the longest undersea road tunnel in the world: a full 27 kilometers, stretching from the Stavanger region in the south to Haugesund in the north. But unusually, the tunnel actually also connects a third location: Kvitsøy Island, which will connect to the new tunnel with an undersea double roundabout.
The tunnel, called Rogfast, will have a fairly typical construction when completed: two tunnels, each with two lanes going in one fixed direction. The roundabout, however, is anything but typical. Most Americans can’t spot traffic circles when they’re on the surface, but apparently Norwegians can trust them to navigate them when they’re 800 feet beneath the waves. according to CNN.
Not only long, but also deep
That depth has proven to be a challenge, as construction crews encountered saltwater leaks in the tunnel before it was even 1,000 feet deep. By the time the crew reaches the full 1,286 feet, the water pressure on the tunnel will be even higher, from 437 psi at current depth to more than 570 psi. Yet Norwegian authorities are not only confident that the tunnel will be a success, they are also confident that they can distribute the work. Two different teams are digging the tunnel, one starting from the north side and one from the south, with the goal of meeting in the middle with less than two inches of clearance on either side. Sorry, America, but our little tunnels have nothing to do with Norway.
#Norways #undersea #tunnel #long #roundabout #Jalopnik