Tromsøysund Tunnel
Encyclopedia
The Tromsøysund Tunnel is an undersea
highway tunnel under the Tromsøysund sound, connecting the island of Tromsøya
with the mainland in Tromsø
, Norway
.
The tunnel is part of European route E8
, (whose Northern terminus is on the island itself) and consists of 2 tubes where T2 is 3,500 and T1 is 3,386 meters long respectively, each with 2 lanes of traffic. The lowest point is 102 meters below sea level
, and the maximum grade is 8.2%. The two tubes are linked by 15 service-tunnels.
When the tunnel opened in 1994, Tromsøya's only mainland connection, the Tromsø Bridge
, had been severely congested for over a decade. The tunnel is located North of the bridge; on the island side it emerges just below the University of Tromsø
and the University Hospital of North Norway, both major sources of traffic between the island and the mainland; on the mainland side it emerges at Tomasjord which is centrally located between the densely popluated suburbs of Tromsdalen
and Kroken.
Undersea tunnel
An undersea tunnel is a tunnel which is partly or wholly constructed under a body of water. They are often used where building a bridge or operating a ferry link is impossible, or to provide competition for existing bridges or ferry links...
highway tunnel under the Tromsøysund sound, connecting the island of Tromsøya
Tromsøya
Tromsøya is a small island in the strait between the mainland and Kvaløya island in Tromsø municipality, Troms county, Norway. It contains the city centre and several residential areas of the city of Tromsø and has given the city its name. The island's area is roughly and has a population of...
with the mainland in Tromsø
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
The tunnel is part of European route E8
European route E8
The European route E 8 is a European route that goes from Tromsø, Norway to Turku, Finland. The length of the route is .* E 8: Tromsø – Nordkjosbotn – Skibotn – Kilpisjärvi – Kaaresuvanto – Muonio – Tornio – Keminmaa – Kemi – Oulu – Liminka – Raahe – Kalajoki – Kokkola – Vaasa – Pori –...
, (whose Northern terminus is on the island itself) and consists of 2 tubes where T2 is 3,500 and T1 is 3,386 meters long respectively, each with 2 lanes of traffic. The lowest point is 102 meters below sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, and the maximum grade is 8.2%. The two tubes are linked by 15 service-tunnels.
When the tunnel opened in 1994, Tromsøya's only mainland connection, the Tromsø Bridge
Tromsø Bridge
The Tromsø Bridge is a cantilever road bridge in the city of Tromsø, Norway. It crosses the strait of Tromsøysundet between Tromsdalen on the mainland and Tromsøya. Construction began in 1958, and the bridge was opened in 1960. At the time of its opening, it was the longest bridge in Northern...
, had been severely congested for over a decade. The tunnel is located North of the bridge; on the island side it emerges just below the University of Tromsø
University of Tromsø
The University of Tromsø is the world's northernmost university. Located in the city of Tromsø, Norway, it was established in 1968, and opened in 1972. It is one of eight universities in Norway. The University of Tromsø is the largest research and educational institution in northern Norway...
and the University Hospital of North Norway, both major sources of traffic between the island and the mainland; on the mainland side it emerges at Tomasjord which is centrally located between the densely popluated suburbs of Tromsdalen
Tromsdalen
Tromsdalen is a village area and valley in the municipality of Tromsø in Troms county, Norway. It is located just to the east of the city of Tromsø on the mainland along the coast of the Tromsøysundet. The population of Tromsdalen is 4,589....
and Kroken.