Very OT: Norwegians to build Ship Tunnel
Norway is going to build a shipping lane by tunneling under a mountain.
Completely off topic, but since this board is full of engineery-types and their fans, I thought it might be of some interest. Also to provide a light break in the ongoing manhunt coverage.
Ship canals have long been used to make journeys more direct and safer but the Stad peninsula is a mountainous divide, peaking at 645m, between the Norwegian Sea to the north and the North Sea to the south.
...
Instead of carving out a slice of the landscape for a canal, engineers will drill and blast through the rock at sea level before removing the dams so the sea can flood a 12m (39ft) deep channel for ships to travel in.
According to one or two other papers, the earliest that they plan to start - if approved - is 2018 and they expect it would take about four years to complete. Interestingly, there are already a few small-scale versions of this which accommodate barges - I've seen the Canal du Midi in France, as an example, and that will accommodate small craft and river barges. This project in Norway is makes for a fascinating read though, and it would be neat to see it happen.
But what's the point? The Norwegian sea and North sea flow into each other
Yea I don't see why this is necessary to build. It would take a whole, I don't know, 20 miles to go around the peninsula. Is saving that little time worth all the money and risk to build the tunnel?
Either way, as an engineer, excited to see how it's being done.
EDIT: I guess the North Sea waters are rougher than I thought. Looks like a big reason is safety, with dozens of accidents and deaths caused near this coastline over the decades.
April 19th, 2013 at 10:54 PM ^
Somebody posts a random OT about something interesting, and like clockwork one after another regular chimes in with informed, authoritative commentary about something I didn't know anything about before. I pick up a bit about naval engineering and Norway's dangerous coastline, in addition to information about zone blocking and the difference between 3-tech and 5-tech. I should figure out a way to make this tax--deductible as an educational expense.
April 20th, 2013 at 12:54 AM ^
April 20th, 2013 at 12:24 PM ^
Our country is overflowing with money and this is just the kind of crazy infrastructure project that could only really happen here. I guess it makes some kind of sense given that it could open water ways for the fishing/fish farming industry and hopefully prevent some accidents/deaths. However, I think most countries would prioritize other projects with that kind of money.
Not often Norway gets mentioned on MGoBlog, but this is two mentions in just over a week.
http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/ot-lions-sign-internet-sensation-kicker-cool-video