WorldWide Drilling Resource

www.starironworks.com SERVINGTHECONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY Serving the Drilling Industry 257 Caroline Street Punxsutawney, PA 15767 800-927-0560 • 814-427-2555 Fax: 814-427-5164 17 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® DECEMBER 2019 World’s Longest Subsea Road Tunnel in Norway Adapted from information by Volvo Construction Equipment Norway is renowned for its beautiful narrow inlets (fjords) along its western coast, but for modern needs, they hinder efficient transportation. Current travel along Coastal Highway Route E39 takes 21 hours and demands seven ferry crossings. About a third of Norway’s 5.3 million people live along this important travel/trade route, where 60% of the country’s exports are produced. When E39 exits Norway, it continues to Denmark, a vital entry point to Europe. Now, using new tunnel building techniques to cut travel time to 11 hours, Norway has embarked on the largest infrastructure project in its modern history, set to open in 2026. The official name of the subsea road tunnel is E39 Rogfast, and each of the two tunnel tubes will carry two traffic lanes. As the world’s longest and deepest subsea road tunnel, it will stretch over 16 miles and lie more than1200 feet below sea level at its deepest. Two supporting tunnels, each over one mile, will serve as ventilation shafts. In addition, every 820 feet wi l l be emergency passages connecting the two main tunnels. Bui lding tunnels at such depths presents challenges. The prework of constructing a tunnel may sound simple; however, the subsea environment involves risks and requires precision work. Blasting foreman Arne Oddvar Haugeland, in the industry for nearly 50 years, conducts and performs the detonations on the subsea site in the Rogfast project. With only torches and headlamps, this is challenging, considering the large volume of explosives involved. Days consist of blasting, loading, and dumping. With slides as a constant risk, safety is key, so they work in shifts with three-man teams to master the machines and the dark environment. When complet- ed, this tunnel will make life easier by speeding things up along Norway’s west coast. Norway Coastal Highway Route E39 Working in the dark requires teamwork. EXB Blasting Foreman Arne Oddvar Haugeland