Detour #353: A Tunnel Run to the Only Undersea Roundabout in the World, Faroe Islands
Photo Nick Dimbleby
Driving over 1,000 miles just to lap a roundabout might seem insane, but when it’s also an art installation over 250 feet beneath the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, this epic journey makes total sense.
The Esturoy tunnel is one of four undersea tunnels that connect the Faroe Islands, linking the capital Torshavn to the towns of Runavik and Strendur. It took four years to construct and takes four days just to get to it by car from the UK.
In my case that car is the all-new Morgan Supersport 400 and the trip begins at the company’s 109-year-old home at Pickersleigh Road in Malvern, Worcestershire.
Not only is the Supersport 400 the most powerful Morgan ever made, it’s also the best-suited to serious road tripping. There’s a fixed hard top, space behind the seats and even a useable boot space.
Once loaded up, it’s a stop-start 200 miles to the Eurotunnel at Folkestone and then, over the next couple days I tick off France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark in quick succession.
The Supersport 400 is cool and comfortable in the midst of a heatwave, and an absolute monster on Germany’s autobahns. 150 mph is all too easy, if rather noisy, so a steady ton seems like the best compromise between speed and sound.
The Smyril Line ferry departs from Hirsthals at the northernmost tip of Denmark and despite being more than 700 miles distant the Faroe Islands are still part of the Kingdom of Denmark, albeit self-governing since 1948.
Photo Matt Jennings
The crossing, on the MS Norrona, takes 36 hours, or 66 for the many automotive adventurers carrying on to Iceland. On board there’s a cinema, several bars, restaurants, a gym and even hot tubs to help while away the hours.
It’s a spectacular arrival into Torshavn, as the Norrona passes up through the fjords and it seems like all 1,500 passengers are on deck to witness it.
Photo Matt Jennings
The capital is home to 21,000 of the 54,000 people who live on the Faroe Islands and I base myself at the Hotel Hafnia for a few days of exploration. That starts with the Esturoy tunnel, which has transformed the islands, with more than 6,000 people using it every day.
“You can travel when it suits you,” Teitur Samuelson of P/F Eystur, the company which built and runs the tunnels tells me. “It is not like with ferries, at certain times, with the risk of postponements and cancellations, as the weather conditions in winter are quite extreme and ferries regularly need technical maintenance. In addition, the capacity is unlimited.”
The 11km undersea route may now have been eclipsed by Norway’s new Ryfylke Tunnel, but the Faroe Islands could soon get its record back. “We are currently working on planning the Suðuroyartunnilin. It is an approximately 23 km long underwater tunnel to the southernmost island of the Faroe Islands. This is a mega project, so the planning is extremely important. This will be one of the longest underwater tunnels in the world,” adds Samuelson.
The massive cost of engineering the Esturoy tunnel is being gradually recouped through tolls, which are paid by an online system, so I register the Supersport to cover the 175 Danish Krone fare (£20) beforehand.
At this time of year, it just doesn’t get dark in the Faroe Islands, so plunging into the gloom of the tunnel is all the more dramatic. It’s quite a dive down, the road ahead plunging away into the bare rock cavern.
What’s also different from most road tunnels is just how curvy the route is, which helps keep the concentration levels up. Not that there’s much danger of nodding off in the Morgan, for in this vast echo chamber the car’s exhaust is amplified, wailing off the walls when I drop down a gear or two and mash the throttle. It sounds sensational, with a tremendous intake roar, accompanied by shotgun-like bangs from the exhaust on the over run.
Every kilometre there’s an emergency layby, with several wide enough to turn a truck, while the lighting subtly changes colour as you progress through the tunnel’s length.
Photo Nick Dimbleby
Ten kilometres in is the roundabout that I’ve travelled all this way to see. It’s nicknamed the Jellyfish Roundabout for its organic shape and multi-hued lighting, and also features an art piece by local creator Tróndur Patursson which shows the silhouettes of Faroese people, lit by a rainbow of lights. Tune your radio to a specific frequency and you can listen to a soundscape crafted to accompany the visual artwork.
It’s really rather spectacular – all the more so when I remember that I’m well below the ocean floor.
There’s a choice of exits to Runavik, Strendur or return to Torshavn and during my time on the Faroe Islands I’ll travel back and forth on many occasions, never failing to marvel at this engineering wonder.
For further information about exploring the Faroe Islands check out https://visitfaroeislands.com/en
Words Nik Berg Instagram
Photography Nick Dimbleby & Matt Jennings
ROADBOOK
CLASS: TUNNEL RUN
NAME: ESTUROY Tunnel
ROUTE: Torshavn to Runavik and Strendur
COUNTRY: FAROE ISLANDS
Distance: 7 Miles
Driving over 1,000 miles just to lap a roundabout might seem insane, but when it’s also an art installation over 250 feet beneath the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, this epic journey makes total sense.