Norway signs contract for world's first ship tunnel

The Norwegian Coastal Administration (Kystverket) has finalized a contract to build the world’s first full-scale ship tunnel, the Stad Ship Tunnel. The project, which aims to provide a safer and more predictable maritime route by allowing vessels to bypass one of Scandinavia’s most dangerous coastal stretches, was nearly canceled due to financial constraints.

The contract was signed with the Norwegian construction company AF Gruppen. While the net value of the agreement is 5.6 billion NOK (approximately 2.2 billion PLN), the total approved budget limit, including reserves, is nearly 8.6 billion NOK gross (approximately 3.4 billion PLN). To combat rising costs driven by global inflation, engineers modified the original architectural plans and simplified the entrance portal designs.

The project's continuation was secured following political negotiations within the Norwegian government. The minority cabinet of Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre had previously planned to suspend work due to significant cost increases, but funding was secured following pressure from the Centre Party.