Overview
- The Norwegian government approved financing in late June 2026 and Kystverket has moved the project into procurement and preparatory stages to ready the site.
- Authorities plan to select a main contractor and run auxiliary tenders so local interventions and excavation preparations can start ahead of a targeted early‑2027 construction launch.
- Design parameters call for an excavated passage of about 1.7 kilometres with roughly 50 metres of internal height, 36 metres wall‑to‑wall width and about 33 metres of free clearance above the water.
- Planners say the tunnel will let large coastal vessels, including passenger and service ships, avoid a hazardous stretch of sea and reduce weather‑related delays and risks for fisheries and cargo operators.
- Engineers face major geotechnical, ventilation, internal‑wave and rock‑disposal challenges and the project’s 8.6 billion NOK price tag required budget revisions and continues to drive political and environmental scrutiny.