Detour Pit Stop #01: Laerdal Tunnel, Norway

Buried deep beneath the mountains between Laerdal and Aurland is the world’s longest road tunnel.

Plans to create an uninterrupted road link between Oslo and Bergen, avoiding ferries and treacherous mountain passes were first made in 1975, but construction of this crucial tunnel didn’t actually begin until 20 years later.

It subsequently took five years to complete at the cost of over a billion Norwegian kroner and more than 2.5 million cubic metres of rock was removed from the mountain’s heart.

A mesmerising 15.2 miles in length, the Laerdal Tunnel was dug by laser-guided drills and blasted out of the rock with millimetre accuracy.

The tunnel is wired to ensure you don’t lose mobile phone service or radio connection, while huge fans circulate fresh air and filters remove particulates and toxic gases from the underground atmosphere.

Driving through it is a strangely hypnotic experience despite the mix of white, yellow and blue lighting designed mimic the sunrise and aid driver concentration. The road is almost dead straight and, with a rigidly-enforced speed limit of 80 km/h, it takes the best part of 20 monotonous minutes to cover its length.

Drowsy drivers can take a break every 3.7 miles where the tunnel opens into a gigantic, brightly-lit cavern, wide enough to turn an articulated lorry and alleviate the claustrophobia.

These caverns also serve as a series of echo chambers which cause the sound from a car exhaust to reverberate and amplify to insane levels. A concert hall for combustion.

While the biggest challenge of driving through the Laerdal Tunnel may simply be staying awake, it’s an experience like no other and a must-visit on any Norwegian road trip.

Words Nik Berg Twitter | Instagram
Photography Peter Dawson @peterdawsonphoto

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Roadbook

• Class: Tunnel

• Name: Laerdal Tunnel

• Route: Laerdal to Aurland, E16

• Country: Norway

• Distance: 15.2 miles

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