In early May the Norwegian government presented its proposal for a revised national budget for 2023. There it emerged that the cost estimates for the Stad ship tunnel have increased significantly.  

The Coastal Administration has prepared an updated cost and uncertainty analysis - delivered to the Ministry of Trade and Fisheries on 15 February - which estimates that the cost framework has increased 74% from EUR347.31 million (NOK 4,090 million) to EUR605.61 million (NOK 7,132 million).  

When considering Prop. 97 S (2020-2021) Construction of City ship tunnel, the Storting decided in spring 2021 that City ship tunnel can be built within a cost framework of EUR347.31 million (NOK 4,090 million).   

The increases in the cost estimates are due to, among other things, general price increases in the construction sector, project-specific cost increases linked to constructions, rock protection and mass removal, and increased provisions for uncertainty in the cost estimates.    

The work on forced redemption of properties will be put on hold until the Coastal Administration has reviewed the costs of the project and the government has returned to Parliament in connection with the state budget for 2024.  

At the same time, the Norwegian Coastal Administration continues the preparatory work for the ship tunnel.  

It's in the process of finalizing a dimensioning project together with SINTEF, which involves analyzing and dimensioning the entrance structures for the ship tunnel. This summer it will also carry out a new round of core drilling, in order to better control rock quality and ground conditions, which is another key risk element in the project.  

At the same time, extensive regulatory work continues for tunnel areas, new industrial areas and other recipients of rock masses. The aim is to reuse all the stone from the ship tunnel to build new - and expand existing wharf and business areas in the three municipalities near the ship tunnel.  

The goal is still to have foundation work and documents completed so that we can be ready to go out to tender to find a main contractor who can operate/build the ship tunnel, after the Storting has decided on an updated cost estimate in autumn 2023.   

The Stad ship tunnel is planned to be built in the Selje municipality on the narrowest part of Stadhalvøya, between Moldefjorden in the west and Kjødepollen in the east. The tunnel will have a length of 1,700 m and will be designed for ships the size of the fast-route ship MS Midnatsol and (large) ring-groove trawlers, i.e. sailing width 21.5 m, sailing height 33 m and sailing depth 8 m. 

Fort further information please click here and no/132 for the tunnelbuilder archive. Visit https://kystverket.no/en/ and https://www.regjeringen.no. 21/23.