I examine Norway’s 47-billion-dollar mega-road project in this episode. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration is currently developing the world’s first floating highway. The Coastal Highway Route E39 will cut the 21-hour journey time between the Norwegian cities of Kristiansand in the south and Trondheim in the north in half by eliminating seven unique ferry crossings.
These crossings will be replaced by bridges, tunnels, and the revolutionary new Submerged Floating Tube Bridges that give the Coastal Road its name. Norway, on the other hand, has its work cut out for it because no other project of this size and complexity has ever used floating tunnels, and the historic road project will cost more than $47 billion to complete.
Due to the large number of fjords to cross, the project is soliciting the help of universities, researchers, and engineers from all over the country. Though the project isn’t expected to be completed until 2050, work on the Rogaland Fixed Link or Rogfast, the project’s first floating tunnel, has already begun. While the construction has helped them iron out some flaws, it has so far cost them $2 billion, with the budget anticipated to rise.
Norway intends to maintain its pristine natural beauty with these secret roads, but first, they must figure out how to keep visitors safe at 150 feet underwater. Watch this movie to learn more about this revolutionary new highway and how the rest of the world may soon follow Norway’s lead.
