On 29 February at exactly 3 p.m a further breakthrough happened in the twin tube Åstunnel in Levanger municipality, on the E6 between Kvithammar and Åsen. Nye Veier is the developer for the new E6 between Kvithammar and Åsen in Trøndelag and the general contractor for the project is Hæhre Entreprenør AS. 

The Åstunnel is 2,100 metres, with two runs and two lanes in each direction. It has taken approximately 1.5 years' driving time from start to finish, and Hæhre started driving the tunnel on 12 October 2023.  

There are seven breakdown areas for vehicles for use in an emergency and eight cross connections with the escape between the tunnel runs.

When the Åstunnel is finished, more than 330,000 m 3 of rock will have been removed. The team used 1 million kg of explosives, divided into an estimated 900 volleys.

The new motorway will have four lanes and a speed limit of 110 km/h. The stretch is approx. 19 km, of which 12 are in tunnels. Four lanes, double tunnel runs and an increased speed limit will provide better accessibility, reduced travel time and more predictability for road users. The new road will also increase traffic safety. The last breakthrough in the Forbordsfjelltunnel in Stjørdal municipality was back in August 2023. The entire E6 road stretch from Kvithammar to Åsen is planned to be opened in 2027. 

Click here for further information on the project, here and no/212 for the tunnelbuilder archive. Visit https://kommunikasjon.ntb.no  and https://akh.no/. 09/24.