Green light given or the Stad ship tunnel

This is how the ship tunnel can look like when it is completed in a few years. The illustration shows the portal in Kjøde - at the northern end of the ship tunnel.

If anyone is in doubt – the ship tunnel through the Stad peninsula will be built. In March the Norwegian government submitted a proposition to the Stortinget to build the Stad ship tunnel.

It has been clear for a while, but today the last official statement came into place, in the form of a proposition about the Stad ship tunnel, which was approved by the Norwegian parliament, Stortinget.

- The construction of the Stad ship tunnel will remove an important barrier for ship traffic in one of the most weather-exposed and demanding waters along the Norwegian coast. We are now confirming the construction of the project, says Minister of Transport Knut Arild Hareide.

This is a large, comprehensive and not least important project for the Norwegian Coastal Administration and coastal Norway, and we are more than ready to build the world's first full-scale ship tunnel. We are already well under way with establishing a project organization, preparing a tender basis and preparing for tenders, and can start construction of the ship tunnel in 2022/2023

Managing director Einar Vik Arset,the Norwegian Coastal Administration

in April 2021 the NCA announced the following:

The NCA will build the world's first ship tunnel

Following the government's budget negotiations, funds have been set aside for the start-up of the Stad Ship Tunnel in 2021. The project is now estimated to cost NOK 3.45 billion. The Ministry of Transport and Communications will as soon as possible submit a proposal for a permit for the tunnel project to the Parliament.

– Stad Ship Tunnel is an exciting project that is unique in a world context. It has been a long journey, and the funds have not always been sufficient. After the budget negotiations, there will now be funds to start the project in 2021. This means that the project will be carried out. This is a big day for the northwestern part of Norway, says Minister of Transport, Knut Arild Hareide, in a press release from the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

– We have noticed that there is political agreement to initiate the Stad Ship Tunnel project. This is a large, comprehensive, and not at least interesting project. When it is approved by the Parliament, we are more than ready to build the world's first full scale ship tunnel. We are looking forward to establish a project organization, preparing a tender basis and preparing for tenders, and in parallel with this, starting the processes of land acquisition, says Director General Einar Vik Arset at the NCA.

Who further emphasizes that this is a project that will attract great attention both nationally and internationally.

(. . .)

Stad Ship Tunnel has been through thorough pre-projecting and -planning, as well as quality assurances. In 2018, the quality assurance showed that the project would cost NOK 3.7 billion. One billion NOK more than National Transport Plan (NTP) estimates.

Since then, the NCA has reviewed the project to reduce costs. This autumn, the NCA’s proposal has been through a simplified quality assurance. The final report was ready on November 5th. It stated that the project will cost NOK 3.45 billion.