Swiss contractor wins major tunnel contract in Norway

A joint venture between Switzerland’s Implenia and Norway’s Strangeland Maskin has been awarded a construction project on the Boknafjord tunnel in Norway.

Visualisation of the E03 Boknafjord tunnel on the west coast of Norway. Image courtesly Norwegian Public Roads Administration

When completed, the tunnel will be the world’s longest and deepest subsea tunnel.

Implenia will take on the excavation and construction of an 8.6km stretch of the tunnel, while Strangeland Maskin undertakes the construction of a 125m section of connecting road, as well as the transportation of all excavated material.

Implenia said its activities amount to 80% of the contract, equating to a value of approximately €304 million.

Erwin Scherer, global head of tunnelling with Implenia, said, “We are excited to win such a major and prestigious project together with our JV partner Stangeland Maskin.

“The project E03 Boknafjord tunnel is a large and complex infrastructure project in line with our strategy, where we can contribute our many years of experience and proven expertise in tunnel construction and related civil engineering disciplines.”

The wider Boknafjord tunnel project comprises a 27km-long roadway, running below the huge Boknafjorden fjord in Rogaland in central Norway.

The responsibility of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, the tunnel has seen a number of delays and cost rises, but has a current completion date of 2033 and a budget of approximately €2.55 billion.