Norway's largest housing association, OBOS, plans to build a 2,6 kilometer long electric-bus tunnel to facilitate connectivity for its new housing complex of 10.000 houses in the south of Oslo. It is likely that AF Gruppen will be inviolved in the construction of the tunnel. as they have a long time working relationship. They have recently got a contract to build a housing complex for OBOS and in the press release of OBOS they say they have experience with building tunnels in that region/

OBOS is a housing association group owned by its members. The largest in Norway, with 240,000 homes under their management.

OBOS press release,

OBOS will build a bus tunnel in the south of Oslo

A new district with 10,000 homes in the south of Oslo has been on the drawing board for decades - awaiting a public transport solution. Now OBOS wants to speed up the large urban development project by building a bus tunnel.

The proposal is to build a 2.6 kilometer long tunnel for electric buses from Gjersrud-Stensrud to Rosenholm station in the district of Søndre Nordstrand. Price tag: NOK 2 billion.

- This could be the solution that makes it possible to finally get started with the development of Gjersrud-Stensrud. And this does not have to cost the public a penny. Our starting point is that OBOS and the other developers and landowners foot the bill. If the politicians really want to, then the bus tunnel and the first homes can be ready in 10 years, says CEO Daniel Kjørberg Siraj in OBOS.

The conclusion of a study carried out by AF Gruppen and Norconsult for OBOS is that the most cost-effective and appropriate solution for society will be to build a tunnel for electric buses that will run shuttle traffic between the planned district and Rosenholm.

To Oslo S in half an hour

The tunnel will provide a direct connection between Gjersrud-Stensrud and Rosenholm station. Here there will be a transfer to the train to central Oslo and south in the direction of Ski. Østfoldbanen will then have departures every ten minutes.

The trip from the homes on Gjersrud–Stensrud to Oslo S will not take more than half an hour.

After years of discussions, the Oslo city council adopted a so-called area regulation for Gjersrud-Stensrud in 2016. The plan allows for 25,000 inhabitants and 4,000 jobs in the new, environmentally friendly district. The plan is for a varied development with detached houses, apartments, large green areas and a vibrant urban environment. The new district could be the size of Lillehammer city or Fornebu.

Several solutions wrecked

There have been plans for several decades to develop the 4,000-acre area, but a lack of public transport solutions has put an end to the plans. A number of different solutions have been proposed over the years, but none of them have come to fruition. An extension of the subway from Mortensrud, a separate light rail from Ljabru and various bus and train solutions have been investigated.

Now OBOS will cut through:

- It is a fact that the Oslo area needs more housing in the future. And the politicians have designated Gjersrud-Stensrud as one of the real major development areas. We are ready to put the shovel in the ground, and are willing to take on the challenge of providing an environmentally friendly and efficient public transport service. This can be a fantastically nice place where ordinary people can afford to live, a lively district with everything you need in everyday life - without being dependent on a car, says the OBOS boss.

- We have experience from building tunnels in this area and believe that a standard road tunnel is a good and cost-effective solution with few natural interventions. This will not be an advanced tunnel with tracks, but a straight, asphalted tunnel in well-known ground conditions, says department director Kjetil Vikane at AF Gruppen.

https://nye.obos.no/dette-er-obos/nyheter/obos-vil-bygge-busstunnel-sor-i-oslo/