The World's First Submerged Floating Tunnel

Think of a drinking straw, anchored in the bedrock on either side of the fjord, submerged about 98 feet below the surface of the water, low enough for the biggest ships to pass safely over, and with plenty of space underneath for submarines to come and go.

In addition to staying clear of water traffic, the depth of the tunnel assures smooth driving. "Wind, waves and currents have hardly any influence there," Arianna Minoretti, a chief engineer at Norway's Public Roads Administration, told ABC News.

She said 50 international experts "are doing detailed simulations and detailed measurements of wind speed, current, undersea landslides, bedrock geology, etc." to make sure the plans, as well as the tunnel, is rooted in "the real-world environment."

The two concrete tubes of the tunnel -- one for traffic headed in each direction -- will be firmly fixed in position and attached to floating pontoons, spaced 820 feet apart to allow sea vessels to pass through.

Crossing Norway's fjords is going to get easier with world's first submerged floating tunnel

This doesn't sound like the kind of thing you want to have the first one of. It is a great idea, but things could go wrong, fast. After any problems are worked out they could end up being very reliable. Who knows, with the right modifications, maybe one day you will be able to drive across the Atlantic.

a reply to: LookingAtMars

What could go wrong?

a reply to: LookingAtMars

Is it just me or does it look like a torpedo is heading for the tunnel in the picture?

And no thanks.
I'll pass on this one.

a reply to: Bluntone22

lol, that is just a cruise ship. If you follow the link in the OP it shows a view of the surface.

This is a straight to netflix horror movie waiting to happen.

originally posted by: toms54
a reply to: LookingAtMars

What could go wrong?

Don't let the USS San Francisco anywhere near it.

a reply to: LookingAtMars

Interesting concept that goes right back to the idea's for a transatlantic train tunnel and also a trans pacific one, over short length's it would seem very rigid but in fact would be extremely flexible as well as able to compress and stretch so as to cope with a number of factors ranging from geological to tidal and so allow rapid transit of freight between continent's and indeed across the entire globe.
Norway is looking to the future, this will if done correctly actually be safer than a bridge - IF done correctly but claustrophobic as it is likely the tunnel will not be made of transparent material's.
A fjord is an easy mark for what would essentially be a prototype of an old concept though as the fjord is relatively calm compared to open ocean, the floating ventilation shaft's linked to surface boy's that will actually be quite big structures will also be easier to build in a fjord while at sea they would have to cope with far greater swell's and ocean tempers.

a reply to: LookingAtMars

First of all, what happens if a ship hits one of the pontoons? I realize that ships are not supposed to do that, but ships do sometimes collide with things that they are not supposed to -- such as bridge supports.

Secondly, how will rising and falling sea levels (such as the natural tide cycle) be dealt with? I assume the tunnel will need to stay at roughly the same level to make its connection to the non-floating part of the road, so does that mean the connection of the tunnel to the pontoons would be adjustable? Maybe?

I'm sure they have some ideas about how that would be accounted for, but I didn't see any in this particular article. If I have time, I'll look into it further.

a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

My guess is that the whole structure will be rather massive, so that things like tides or a ship hitting a pontoon wont do much.

a reply to: moebius


I meant the rising and sinking of the tidal cycle, not just waves. My question on the tides is more about how if sea levels rise and fall with the regular tidal cycle, would the tunnel road level move with that, or will the tunnel road bed somehow always stay at the same level?

If it does rise and fall with the regular tides, then does that mean its connection to the fixed road at either end of the tunnel can somehow accommodate the tunnel road level changing (maybe an expansion joint that can accommodate huge amounts of movement?)

a reply to: LookingAtMars

impressive idea but no way would you ever see me in that! I won't use the channel tunnel ever either only ferries and planes for me

This is a great idea. I can see the possibilities for pedestrians and the tourist-attraction potential. Would be interesting if it could be scaled up for trains and cars, perhaps unmanned trains with freight.

Low bids from China and just float them over.

What could go wrong.

a reply to: LookingAtMars

Cutting edge architecture seems like a Norwegian characteristic. Have you heard of their Atlantic Road (Atlanterhavsveien) bridges? Check this out.



It's like they made a kid's racing track a reality. Can't wait to see the day they mix all that up with the floating tunnel!!

a reply to: LookingAtMars

Very cool! Awesome share! Thank you.