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NorwayMega ship tunnel through Stadlandet is on the way – construction to begin in 2027

Christian Tiedt

 · 03.09.2026

Norway: Mega ship tunnel through Stadlandet is on the way – construction to begin in 2027Photo: Kystverket/Snøhetta/Plomp
This is what it might look like: a Postlinie vessel in the Stad Ship Tunnel.
Norway has signed the construction contract for the spectacular ship tunnel. Work on the 1.7-kilometre-long tunnel through the Stadlandet peninsula on the west coast is set to begin in early 2027.

It is set to become one of Europe’s most spectacular structures: the Norwegian Maritime Authority, Kystverket, has signed the contract for the ship tunnel through the Stadlandet peninsula, a project that has been under discussion for many years. The cost of this mammoth project is estimated at around 8.6 billion Norwegian kroner – approximately 800 million euros.

33 metres clearance height

The tunnel is intended to run from Kjødepollen in Vanylvsfjord to Moldefjord near Selje, thereby making the outer passage around Vestkapp between Bergen and Ålesund unnecessary. The sea area around the Stadtlandet peninsula is notorious for its often difficult weather conditions, sea state and tidal currents. The tunnel will be 1,700 metres long, 50 metres high and 36 metres wide. The designated clearance height is 33 metres.

This means that, in the commercial shipping sector, even the combined postal and cruise ships operated by Hurtigruten and Havila Voyages – which have to pass through the notorious stretch of coastline daily, all year round, according to their timetables – can make use of the new shortcut through the ship tunnel.

This also offers cruising sailors and recreational boaters in general a safe and time-saving alternative when travelling along the Norwegian coast – combined with a unique cruising experience.

Construction is expected to take five years

Before the main construction work on the ship tunnel begins, Kystverket and the contractor AF Gruppen intend to clarify the details of the planning and procedures during a joint preparatory phase. The main construction phase is due to start in early 2027 and is expected to last around five years.

The contract does not cover tunnelling alone. The access and guidance systems at the tunnel portals, safety measures and technical installations within the tunnel, as well as the deepening of the route through the Saltasundet strait near Selje, are also part of the overall project. According to Project details from Kystverket be cut off and removed.

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Christian Tiedt

Christian Tiedt

Editor Travel

Christian Tiedt was born in Hamburg in 1975, but grew up in the northern suburbs of the city - except for numerous visits to the harbor, North Sea and Baltic Sea, but without direct access to water sports for a long time. His first adventures then took place on dry land: With the classics from Chichester, Slocum and Co. After completing his vocational training, his studies finally gave him the opportunity (in terms of time) to get active on the water - and to obtain the relevant licenses. First with cruising and then, when he joined BOOTE in 2004, with motorboats of all kinds. In the meantime, Christian has been able to get to know almost all of Europe (and some more distant destinations) on his own keel and prefers to share his adventures and experiences as head of the travel department for YACHT and BOOTE in cruise reports.

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