Halsnøy Tunnel

The Halsnøy Tunnel (Norwegian: Halsnøytunnelen) is a subsea road tunnel which connects the island of Halsnøy to the mainland in Kvinnherad Municipality in Vestland county in Norway. The northern end of the tunnel is at Sunde, just south of Husnes, and the southern entrance to the tunnel is just north of the village of Sæbøvik on Halsnøy. The 4,120-metre (13,520 ft) long tunnel reaches a depth of 135 metres (443 ft) below mean sea level. Located on County Road 544, it opened on 8 March 2008 and is as of May 2019 a toll road. The project included 2.2 kilometers (1.4 mi) of new road and cost 427 million Norwegian krone. Prior to the opening of this tunnel in 2008, the island of Halsnøy was the most populous island in Norway with no road connection.[1] As an energy conservation measure, the tunnel is not fully illuminated at night, but rather when a vehicle approaches the tunnel, sensors turn on the lights, and then when all vehicles have exited the tunnel, the lights turn off again.[2]

Halsnøy Tunnel
Overview
LocationKvinnherad, Norway
Coordinates59°49′20″N 005°43′29″E
StatusIn use
Route Fv544
StartSunde
EndSæbøvik
Operation
Constructed2006-08
Opened8 March 2008
OperatorStatens vegvesen
TrafficAutomotive
Toll100 NOK (2008-18)
96.40 NOK (2018-19)
Technical
Length4,120 m (13,520 ft)
No. of lanes2
Operating speed80 km/h
Lowest elevation−135 metres (−443 ft)
Width7.5 metres (25 ft)

Initially planned as a tolled tunnel until 2023, it was later confirmed that the toll period would be extended until 2026 due to an increase in electric cars, which are toll-exempt in Norway. In May 2019, however, it was announced that the tunnel would have its remaining debt erased, and would become toll-free starting 6 September 2019, four years earlier than originally planned.[3]

References
  1. Norwegian Public Roads Administration. "Rv. 544 Halsnøysambandet er opna" (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
  2. Store norske leksikon. "Halsnøytunnelen" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2015-03-17.
  3. Kvinnheringen (Norwegian)


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