World’s longest purpose-built pedestrian and cycle tunnel is set to open in Norway soon

The world’s longest purpose-built tunnel for bicycles and pedestrians is set to open on the 15^th of April in Bergen, Norway.

The Fyllingsdalen tunnel will run 2.9km long, through the Løvstakken mountain and will take 8-10 minutes to cycle and 30-45 minutes to walk through.

Along with some existing paths, it will create a 7.8km route from Fyllingsdalen to Bergen’s city center, about 5.5km less than the current one, and will reduce cycling times between the two areas from 40 to 25 minutes.

As the project manager, Arild Tveit explains, the tunnel was meant to serve as an escape route for the parallel-running tram one. However, it was then decided to add cycling and pedestrian paths in order to cut traffic, enable exercise and reduce car emissions.

Some of the tunnel’s technical information include its 2.5m wide pedestrian lane and 3.5m cycle lane, which will be kept at a constant temperature of 7^oC. Emergency phones exist every 250 meters and 100 security cameras have been placed to prevent crime and ensure safety.

Reforming the original escape tunnel to a cycle tunnel cost an additional 500 million kroner, half of which was covered by the state.

In addition to the engineers of the design team, an architectural psychologist was utilized, and two break rooms were added to the tunnel to counteract the psychological effects of walking in it for as long as 45 minutes. Artists were also employed to create designs and ensure that the tunnel is not monotonous.

Finally, the Fyllingsdalen tunnel is the longest cycle tunnel in Europe and second longest in the world, surpassed by the Snoqualmie Tunnel in Seattle, USA, which is 3.6km. However, the Snoqualmie Tunnel was converted from an abandoned railway one and was not built for purpose.