Translation of Statens vegvesen's (The Norwegian Public Roads Administration) press release;

Skanska and Hæhre have excavated a 15,000 meter tunnel in 15 months. The public-private cooperation on Ops Hålogalandsvegen is well ahead of schedule.

- It is very gratifying that progress goes so well. It shows that the big lines in our collaboration work well and that we can take Christmas holidays with low shoulders, says Reidar Johansen, project manager at Statens vegvesen.

Good planning and solid execution

For years, the Road Administration has worked actively to establish necessary approvals and to ensure quick processing of various applications in connection with the construction work. This has helped the contractors to start at the same time driving more tunnels earlier than planned. Combined with good cooperation between all the professional groups, thorough design and a lot of good mountains, this has produced very high production and fast progress.

- I really have to praise all the work teams that have been involved in the project. We have very talented people with us from Skanska and Hæhre, including design, planning, day zone work, rig and operation, constructions, electrical and tunnel operation. A good example of this is the work on mass relocation in the day zone, which has been crucial to the progress we have made. Without the efforts of so many dedicated people, we would never have reached this milestone so quickly, says Fridhild Hjortdahl, general manager of Hålogalandsvegen AS.

This is project director in Skanska, Are Eliassen, agrees:

15,000 tunnel meters is an important milestone in the contract between Statens vegvesen and Hålogalandsvegen AS. A total of 27,000 meters with a tunnel will be operated in this development. When there are holes in all the mountains, almost as much work remains. Then the tunnels will be frost protected, several miles of cables will be drawn, and technical rooms will be built. Finally, the systems in the tunnels will be tested, and the emergency services will carry out exercises before the tunnel can be approved and opened for traffic.

- In addition, we should have completed 55 kilometers a day with a number of larger and smaller bridges and counterclines, so it is good we are ahead of schedule and have something to go on if something should delay us in the further work, Johansen points out.

The planned construction time of about 5.5 years and will be completed late in 2028.

source: Statens vegvesen press release.