According to foreign media reports, the Norwegian government is unwilling to further invest in the development of the “Stad ship tunnel” – which was expected to become the world’s first full-size ship-specific tunnel.
Consequently, the project has been removed from Norway’s annual national budget.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told Norwegian national television (NRK): “The cost of this project will be very high, and we believe it is irresponsible to continue advancing it.”
This ship tunnel was designed to enhance navigation safety in the waters around the Stad Peninsula, and related planning has been underway for several years.
The sea area around the Stad Peninsula experiences strong winds and poses high navigation risks. This tunnel, originally planned to be excavated through a mountain, was intended to provide navigation support for various ships traveling to and from Northern Norway, improving two-way traffic conditions in the area.
Previously, the Norwegian Coastal Administration was tasked with the construction of the Stad ship tunnel.
The administration and local municipal authorities have already invested approximately 390 million Norwegian kroner in the project for land acquisition, planning and design, and preliminary preparations.
Three contractor consortiums participated in the bidding for the tunnel’s construction. The project’s originally estimated cost was about 5 billion Norwegian kroner (equivalent to 500 million US dollars).
