Key east-west road connection in Norway to get SYSTRA-designed new tunnel.
SYSTRA has won a design and build contract in Norway for a road tunnel in Vestland County in the west of the country. With this new project, SYSTRA is capitalising on its experience of tunnels in Norway, already gained with railway projects (Follo line and Vestfold line), a water project (E6 Rentvannstunnel) and a road project (Road Fv. 475 Neskilen – Heftingsdalen).
The contractors for the project are Metrostav Norge AS and Bertelsen & Garpestad AS and the owner is the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Statens Vegvesen. SYSTRA’s diversity joint venture partner is Ramboll.
At 12.4km, the Røldal Tunnel will be Norway’s third longest road tunnel, linking Røldal to Seljestad on the E134 motorway. Francesco Del Greco, business development manager Norway at SYSTRA Italy, said: “This contract represents an important milestone for SYSTRA’s activity and positioning on the Norwegian market. It not only enriches our portfolio of references but also boosts our reputation, especially among local contractors.”
The E134 highway is one of the main connections between the east and west of Norway, and a new tunnel will provide safer roads and shorter driving times, benefiting both private motorists and the transport of heavy goods.
This will be achieved largely thanks to the diversion of traffic away from older, slow tunnels and long stretches of steep, winding road where heavy traffic in particular has major problems in winter.
