Bjorøytunnelen
Encyclopedia
The Bjorøy Tunnel is a 2012 metres (6,601 ft) long subsea road tunnel connecting Bjorøy
in Fjell
to the mainland at Hilleren in Bergen
, Norway
. Part of Hordaland County Road 207, it crosses underneath Vatlestraumen, reaching 88 metres (288.7 ft) below mean sea level. It serves as a fixed link for 500 people on Bjorøy and Tyssøy
, in addition to a similar number of cottage
owners. The first proposal was launched in 1980, and construction started on 29 September 1993. There were severe problems because the tunneling encountered an area of sandstone
, causing a year's delay. Construction cost 59 million Norwegian krone
; it opened on 7 May 1996, and remained a toll road
until 29 January 2005.
, and the tunnel will receive coverage with the future Norwegian Public Safety Radio
.
Before the construction of the Bjorøy Tunnel, the geology of the area was thought to consist entirely of metamorphic basement rocks similar to those exposed on the surrounding islands. The Jurassic
sediments encountered in the tunnel included breccia
and conglomerate
in contact with the underlying gneiss
es and a sandstone with coal fragments, some of which was quite unconsolidated. Spore and pollen samples gave an Oxfordian age (Late Jurassic) for the sequence. The sedimentary rocks appear to have been deposited into an eroded depression caused by a fault zone, which later reactivated, disrupting the bedding and causing steep dips
.
, which became the first subsea tunnel in Norway when it opened in 1982. He had a meeting at his place on 18 December 1980, which included among others the three municipal councilors from Bjorøy, where he tried to get support for the tunnel, which would be the topic of a municipal council meeting on 20 December. The council unanimously voted to establish a committee to look into the tunnel, which was established on 6 January 1981. The committee concluded with that there were three alternatives to build a fixed link to Bjorøy: a bridge from the island over Søre Steinsundet via Vestre Steinsundholmen, Kjerringholmen and Kaggen to Søre Snekkevik on Litlesotra; a tunnel under Vatlestraumen to Håkonshella; or a bridge over Vatlestraumen to Håkonshella or Kongshaug.
At the time, a bridge to Litlesotra was estimated to cost NOK 111 million, a tunnel was estimated to cost NOK 36 million, while a bridge over Vatlestraumen was estimated to cost NOK 74 million. All three included a road connection to Tyssøy, with the bridge proposals costing NOK 16 million for the Tyssøy connection, and the tunnel having a cost of NOK 4 million, in part because the earthworks volume from the tunnel could be used to build a mole
with a short bridge. Seismology
tests were done in August 1983, and they concluded that the ground had good conditions, with the uncompacted material laying mostly only 1 metres (3.3 ft) deep, although at times as deep as 7 metres (23 ft). The proposed tunnel crossing followed a mountain ridge, and the maximum depth was between 40 and 45 m (131.2 and 147.6 ), although the topography went steep down to those depths.
The plans were presented to Johan J. Jakobsen
, Minister of Transport and Communications
, and cooperation was started with the Norwegian Public Roads Administration to find a suitable connection to Tyssøy, so they could also take advantage of the tunnel. To connect the two islands, it was chosen to build across Nautasundet, which was shallow and 175 metres (574.1 ft) wide. In 1987, Kaare Hartman joined the committee and proposed that the tunnel be built with borrowed money, guaranteed by land-owners on the islands, and repaid using tolls. At the time the project was not on any prioritized investment list, and this way the project was not dependent on public grants. On 7 September 1987, Hartmann reached agreement with Norges Skibshypotek to borrow the estimated NOK 50 million. The bank had a guarantee in the income from the tunnel.
However, Norges Skibshypotek had to withdraw, as it was not permitted to invest in non-shipping investments. Instead, a loan was taken in Bergens Skillingsbank
. Four land-owners made a guarantee for NOK 9 million, with a judicial registration covering an area of 347 hectares (857.5 acre). They hoped that the value of their land would increase after the tunnel would be built. The same amount was also guaranteed by Fjell Municipality. Public grants were also secured, so the debt would be NOK 27 to 30 million. The planning was done by Chr. F. Grøner, for which the municipality paid the costs. Statistics from the ferry showed that 26,400 cars and 93,902 people had taken it in 1986, which had grown to 40,400 and 121,000 in 1989. The estimates were for a 90% increase until 2000, given an opening in 2002. A bid for the project was gathered from Selmer–Furuholmen, which gave a maximum price of NOK 55 million, given that construction started in 1989.
On 12 December 1989, the committee sent an official offer to Hordaland Public Roads Administration whereby they, as a company under establishment, offered to fully finance the tunnel. The plans called for tolls of NOK 51 for a car and an investment cost of NOK 47 million. The plans were at first nearly discarded by the administration, as they felt it was impossible for a community of 400 people to finance such a large project without other grants. However, it became evident that the administration was spending NOK 2 million per year on the ferry service, and as the ferry soon would have to be replaced, this would increase to NOK 3 to 5 million per year. On 1 October 1990, the issue was considered by Hordaland Transport Board, which approved the plans. This was followed up by Hordaland County Council on 19 June 1991, which involved NOK 27 million being financed by debt and NOK 28 to 33 million being financed through reduced subsidies to the ferry.
The plans were met with criticism from locals on the Bergen side where the tunnel would emerge. They stated that the plans had "cheap solutions" and had unnecessary negative impact on their local environment. This included the demolishing of a football field and lack of noise barrier
s. Bergen Municipality demanded that the costs of a new field be paid for by the project, and that the tunnel be slightly extended. A new estimate was made, which increased the price by NOK 10.3 million, but Hordaland Public Roads Administration protested stating that it would give an inferior road technically, that the existing development plans permitted the construction, and that the noise would not exceed the permitted limits. They concluded that should these demands remain, the increased costs would terminate the project. On 16 November 1992, Bergen City Council voted to allow the tunnel, under the condition that the tunnel project financed a new football field. The decision was appealed by lawyers representing the local community, but this was rejected by Hordaland County Governor on 30 August 1993.
Originally the unlimited company
Bjorøy og Tyssøy ANS had been attempted established with capital from locals, but instead the company Fastlandssambandet Bjorøy – Tyssøy AS was established on 29 September 1993. Capital for NOK 40,000 was paid by Fjell Municipality, NOK 20,000 by Sund Municipality and NOK 10,000 by Jack Jahnsen. The plans were sent to the Ministry of Transport and Communications in October 1992, who started working on a proposal for parliament in January 1993. Issues raised by the ministry was that the loans had been issued in 1987, and whether the land estimated value of the guaranteed real estate was real. The project was presented to the Parliament of Norway, who must approve all toll roads. By then the costs were estimated at NOK 61.5 million, including NOK 4.5 million in ordinary county grants and NOK 30 million in extraordinary county grants. The proposal estimated annual toll collection costs to NOK 825,000, with the collection taking place on Bjorøy. It was originally planned that the toll plaza would be manned between 06:00 and 22:00, meaning passing would be free at night.
An agreement was made between the ministry, the tunnel company and the county municipality on 6 January 1994 to build the tunnel. The company had the right to collect tolls for up to 15 years on fees dictated by the county municipality, and would have to pay NOK 27 million for the tunnel, with the county paying for the rest of the costs. The construction would be the responsibility of Hordaland Public Roads Administration, with the tunnel company only responsible for their part of the financing and the collection of tolls. An agreement was made with Selmer, whereby they would charge NOK 59,422,500 and take the risk of the project, including any expenditures for unknown geological conditions or similar costs increases. They were also responsible for an insurance to reclaim the investments should it be proven impossible to build the tunnel.
On 30 September, Selmer stopped construction from the Bjorøy side, although it continued from the mainland. About 750 metres (2,460.6 ft) from the Bjorøy side, the construction found a section of sandstone, the upper Jurassic Bjorøy formation, a condition which had never been encountered during subsea tunnel construction before. Geological engineers stated that there was no known solution to overcoming the problem, and that if the contractor had blasted into the area, the tunnel would have been filled with sand and water within minutes.
On a meeting on 10 October, O. T. Blindheim, a geological consulting company, and Selmer presented three alternatives: continued injection of cement, recommended by Blindheim; freezing, recommended by Selmer because it was the cheapest, but would take more time; and use of a water-tight shield. A technical committee was established, and on 16 December they recommended the use of cement injection combined with a ring of drainage holes around the tunnel before blasting. The method was to be continually tested, and if it was insufficient, freezing could be used. As the tunnel advanced, the hole was to be continuously secured using carbon fibre-reinforced carbon
gunite, self-boring bolts, steel ribs and full pouring. Work was taken up after a meeting on 27 March 1995, and on 16 August the final blast was made. Representatives from Selmer stated that the method they had chosen had resulted in international interest for the tunnel, and they had demonstrated it to several international delegations.
On 2 February 1996, the tunnel company had an agreement with Bru og Tunnelskelskapet, which operates the Bergen Toll Ring, to collect the tolls in the tunnel using the Autopass
automatic toll collection system. A manual collection system was estimated to cost NOK 1.4 million per year, while an automated system was estimated at NOK 0.4 million. The tunnel opened on 7 May 1996, the same day the last ferry ran. Originally the plan was to charge tolls similar to the ferry. With a manual system, it would not be possible to charge for two-wheeled vehicles and passengers, so the fares for other vehicles were raised slightly. In 1995, it had cost NOK 44 for a single passing with a car on the ferry. The tolls were set to NOK 120 for all types of vehicles, except two-wheelers, and NOK 72 was charged per travel with pre-paid ticket books. Bus riders had to pay for two extra zones. The toll plaza was open a few hour each week to allow people to purchase discounted tickets.
The contract for the construction of the bridge to Tyssøy was announced on 20 August 1996, and was won by NCC Eeg-Henriksen Anlegg, who wanted NOK 8.5 million for the job. The link opened on 27 September 1997. In 2000, a public meeting was held in which it was proposed to reduce the rates and instead prolong the collection time, but this was rejected. In 1999, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration reported that the Bjorøy Tunnel had the cheapest administration costs per passing, at NOK 7,32, of all small toll companies. The tolls were removed on 29 January 2005, after eight years and eight months, almost half the stipulated time.
Bjorøy
Bjorøy is an island in Fjell municipality, Hordaland, Norway. Located south of Litlesotra, Bjorøy is connected to Bergen by a subsea road tunnel, Bjorøytunnelen. It is also connected to the small island of Tyssøy in Sund municipality by a bridge...
in Fjell
Fjell
Fjell is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. The parish of Fjæld was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
to the mainland at Hilleren in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Part of Hordaland County Road 207, it crosses underneath Vatlestraumen, reaching 88 metres (288.7 ft) below mean sea level. It serves as a fixed link for 500 people on Bjorøy and Tyssøy
Tyssøy
Tyssøy is an island in Sund, Norway in Raunefjorden. It has a population of 60 and connects to Bjorøy to the north via a bridge. The island is named for the Norse god Týr....
, in addition to a similar number of cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
owners. The first proposal was launched in 1980, and construction started on 29 September 1993. There were severe problems because the tunneling encountered an area of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, causing a year's delay. Construction cost 59 million Norwegian krone
Norwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
; it opened on 7 May 1996, and remained a toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
until 29 January 2005.
Specifications
The Bjorøy Tunnel is a subsea tunnel which runs below Vatlestraumen between Bjorøy and the mainland of Bergen. It carries two lanes of Hordaland County Road 207. It is the only fixed link for the islands of Bjorøy and Tyssøy. The tunnel is 2012 metres (6,601 ft) long and reaches 88 m (288.7 ft) below mean sea level. The maximum gradient is 10 degrees. It is one of few tunnels in Norway without mobile telephone coverage, although there are emergency telephones which connect to the operation center of the Norwegian Public Roads AdministrationNorwegian Public Roads Administration
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration is a Norwegian government agency responsible for the state and county public roads in the country. This includes planning, construction and operation of the state and county road networks, driver training and licensing, vehicle inspection and subsidies to...
, and the tunnel will receive coverage with the future Norwegian Public Safety Radio
Norwegian Public Safety Radio
The Norwegian Public Safety Radio is a public safety network system based on Terrestrial Trunked Radio which is being implemented by the Directorate for Emergency Communication throughout Norway...
.
Before the construction of the Bjorøy Tunnel, the geology of the area was thought to consist entirely of metamorphic basement rocks similar to those exposed on the surrounding islands. The Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
sediments encountered in the tunnel included breccia
Breccia
Breccia is a rock composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock cemented together by a fine-grained matrix, that can be either similar to or different from the composition of the fragments....
and conglomerate
Conglomerate (geology)
A conglomerate is a rock consisting of individual clasts within a finer-grained matrix that have become cemented together. Conglomerates are sedimentary rocks consisting of rounded fragments and are thus differentiated from breccias, which consist of angular clasts...
in contact with the underlying gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
es and a sandstone with coal fragments, some of which was quite unconsolidated. Spore and pollen samples gave an Oxfordian age (Late Jurassic) for the sequence. The sedimentary rocks appear to have been deposited into an eroded depression caused by a fault zone, which later reactivated, disrupting the bedding and causing steep dips
Strike and dip
Strike and dip refer to the orientation or attitude of a geologic feature. The strike line of a bed, fault, or other planar feature is a line representing the intersection of that feature with a horizontal plane. On a geologic map, this is represented with a short straight line segment oriented...
.
Planning
Since 1966, Bjorøy was served by the Alvøen–Bjorøyhamn Ferry. The plans for a tunnel to Bjorøy were first launched by the engineer Jack Jahnsen in 1980. These were based on the then under construction Vardø TunnelVardø Tunnel
The Vardø Tunnel is a long two-lane subsea road tunnel which connects the island of Vardøya to the mainland. It is located in Vardø on European Route E75. The tunnel opened in 1982 and was the first subsea tunnel in Norway....
, which became the first subsea tunnel in Norway when it opened in 1982. He had a meeting at his place on 18 December 1980, which included among others the three municipal councilors from Bjorøy, where he tried to get support for the tunnel, which would be the topic of a municipal council meeting on 20 December. The council unanimously voted to establish a committee to look into the tunnel, which was established on 6 January 1981. The committee concluded with that there were three alternatives to build a fixed link to Bjorøy: a bridge from the island over Søre Steinsundet via Vestre Steinsundholmen, Kjerringholmen and Kaggen to Søre Snekkevik on Litlesotra; a tunnel under Vatlestraumen to Håkonshella; or a bridge over Vatlestraumen to Håkonshella or Kongshaug.
At the time, a bridge to Litlesotra was estimated to cost NOK 111 million, a tunnel was estimated to cost NOK 36 million, while a bridge over Vatlestraumen was estimated to cost NOK 74 million. All three included a road connection to Tyssøy, with the bridge proposals costing NOK 16 million for the Tyssøy connection, and the tunnel having a cost of NOK 4 million, in part because the earthworks volume from the tunnel could be used to build a mole
Mole (architecture)
A mole is a massive structure, usually of stone, used as a pier, breakwater, or a causeway between places separated by water. The word comes from Middle French mole and ultimately Latin mōlēs meaning a large mass, especially of rock and has the same root as molecule.Historically, the term "mole"...
with a short bridge. Seismology
Seismology
Seismology is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other planet-like bodies. The field also includes studies of earthquake effects, such as tsunamis as well as diverse seismic sources such as volcanic, tectonic, oceanic,...
tests were done in August 1983, and they concluded that the ground had good conditions, with the uncompacted material laying mostly only 1 metres (3.3 ft) deep, although at times as deep as 7 metres (23 ft). The proposed tunnel crossing followed a mountain ridge, and the maximum depth was between 40 and 45 m (131.2 and 147.6 ), although the topography went steep down to those depths.
The plans were presented to Johan J. Jakobsen
Johan J. Jakobsen
Johan Jakob Jakobsen is a former politician from Norway, representing the Norwegian Centre Party.He had a long political career, sitting seven terms as a representative in the Norwegian Parliament, first elected in 1973. This run was not entirely successive, however, as he was a member of two...
, Minister of Transport and Communications
Minister of Transport and Communications (Norway)
The Minister of Transport and Communications is a Councillor of State and Chief of the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications. Since 20 October 2009, the position has been held by Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa of the Centre Party...
, and cooperation was started with the Norwegian Public Roads Administration to find a suitable connection to Tyssøy, so they could also take advantage of the tunnel. To connect the two islands, it was chosen to build across Nautasundet, which was shallow and 175 metres (574.1 ft) wide. In 1987, Kaare Hartman joined the committee and proposed that the tunnel be built with borrowed money, guaranteed by land-owners on the islands, and repaid using tolls. At the time the project was not on any prioritized investment list, and this way the project was not dependent on public grants. On 7 September 1987, Hartmann reached agreement with Norges Skibshypotek to borrow the estimated NOK 50 million. The bank had a guarantee in the income from the tunnel.
However, Norges Skibshypotek had to withdraw, as it was not permitted to invest in non-shipping investments. Instead, a loan was taken in Bergens Skillingsbank
Bergens Skillingsbank
Bergens Skillingsbank was a Norwegian bank based in Bergen, Norway. It was established as a savings bank in 1857, but converted to a commercial bank in 1919. In 1993 it took over Norges Hypotekinstitutt. In 1997 it changed its name to Bergensbanken, the same year as the company upgraded its...
. Four land-owners made a guarantee for NOK 9 million, with a judicial registration covering an area of 347 hectares (857.5 acre). They hoped that the value of their land would increase after the tunnel would be built. The same amount was also guaranteed by Fjell Municipality. Public grants were also secured, so the debt would be NOK 27 to 30 million. The planning was done by Chr. F. Grøner, for which the municipality paid the costs. Statistics from the ferry showed that 26,400 cars and 93,902 people had taken it in 1986, which had grown to 40,400 and 121,000 in 1989. The estimates were for a 90% increase until 2000, given an opening in 2002. A bid for the project was gathered from Selmer–Furuholmen, which gave a maximum price of NOK 55 million, given that construction started in 1989.
On 12 December 1989, the committee sent an official offer to Hordaland Public Roads Administration whereby they, as a company under establishment, offered to fully finance the tunnel. The plans called for tolls of NOK 51 for a car and an investment cost of NOK 47 million. The plans were at first nearly discarded by the administration, as they felt it was impossible for a community of 400 people to finance such a large project without other grants. However, it became evident that the administration was spending NOK 2 million per year on the ferry service, and as the ferry soon would have to be replaced, this would increase to NOK 3 to 5 million per year. On 1 October 1990, the issue was considered by Hordaland Transport Board, which approved the plans. This was followed up by Hordaland County Council on 19 June 1991, which involved NOK 27 million being financed by debt and NOK 28 to 33 million being financed through reduced subsidies to the ferry.
The plans were met with criticism from locals on the Bergen side where the tunnel would emerge. They stated that the plans had "cheap solutions" and had unnecessary negative impact on their local environment. This included the demolishing of a football field and lack of noise barrier
Noise barrier
A noise barrier is an exterior structure designed to protect sensitive land uses from noise pollution...
s. Bergen Municipality demanded that the costs of a new field be paid for by the project, and that the tunnel be slightly extended. A new estimate was made, which increased the price by NOK 10.3 million, but Hordaland Public Roads Administration protested stating that it would give an inferior road technically, that the existing development plans permitted the construction, and that the noise would not exceed the permitted limits. They concluded that should these demands remain, the increased costs would terminate the project. On 16 November 1992, Bergen City Council voted to allow the tunnel, under the condition that the tunnel project financed a new football field. The decision was appealed by lawyers representing the local community, but this was rejected by Hordaland County Governor on 30 August 1993.
Originally the unlimited company
Ansvarlig selskap
An ansvarlig selskap is a Norwegian company model, mainly used in small-to-medium businesses, in which the company's individual owners are held personally liable for any outstanding debts acquired by the company...
Bjorøy og Tyssøy ANS had been attempted established with capital from locals, but instead the company Fastlandssambandet Bjorøy – Tyssøy AS was established on 29 September 1993. Capital for NOK 40,000 was paid by Fjell Municipality, NOK 20,000 by Sund Municipality and NOK 10,000 by Jack Jahnsen. The plans were sent to the Ministry of Transport and Communications in October 1992, who started working on a proposal for parliament in January 1993. Issues raised by the ministry was that the loans had been issued in 1987, and whether the land estimated value of the guaranteed real estate was real. The project was presented to the Parliament of Norway, who must approve all toll roads. By then the costs were estimated at NOK 61.5 million, including NOK 4.5 million in ordinary county grants and NOK 30 million in extraordinary county grants. The proposal estimated annual toll collection costs to NOK 825,000, with the collection taking place on Bjorøy. It was originally planned that the toll plaza would be manned between 06:00 and 22:00, meaning passing would be free at night.
An agreement was made between the ministry, the tunnel company and the county municipality on 6 January 1994 to build the tunnel. The company had the right to collect tolls for up to 15 years on fees dictated by the county municipality, and would have to pay NOK 27 million for the tunnel, with the county paying for the rest of the costs. The construction would be the responsibility of Hordaland Public Roads Administration, with the tunnel company only responsible for their part of the financing and the collection of tolls. An agreement was made with Selmer, whereby they would charge NOK 59,422,500 and take the risk of the project, including any expenditures for unknown geological conditions or similar costs increases. They were also responsible for an insurance to reclaim the investments should it be proven impossible to build the tunnel.
Construction
The construction of the tunnel started on 29 September 1993, with the original plans calling for the tunnel to open on 15 June 1995. The original construction consisted of blasting from Bjorøy, but by January 1994 there were problems with water leaks through cracks. The contractor described these as "common problems" when building tunnels, but that construction would be delayed by up to two weeks. To keep up with the schedule, the company started also blasting from the mainland. However, the problems increased, and by September the tunnel was leaking 600 litres (1,268 US pt) per minute, which was 50% more than estimated. This caused extra work to be done on the exterior to the tunnel, and costs had increased by several tens of millions of krone. In particular, a different type of rock had been struck, and 60 tonnes (59.1 LT) of concrete had been injected without this giving the desired effects.On 30 September, Selmer stopped construction from the Bjorøy side, although it continued from the mainland. About 750 metres (2,460.6 ft) from the Bjorøy side, the construction found a section of sandstone, the upper Jurassic Bjorøy formation, a condition which had never been encountered during subsea tunnel construction before. Geological engineers stated that there was no known solution to overcoming the problem, and that if the contractor had blasted into the area, the tunnel would have been filled with sand and water within minutes.
On a meeting on 10 October, O. T. Blindheim, a geological consulting company, and Selmer presented three alternatives: continued injection of cement, recommended by Blindheim; freezing, recommended by Selmer because it was the cheapest, but would take more time; and use of a water-tight shield. A technical committee was established, and on 16 December they recommended the use of cement injection combined with a ring of drainage holes around the tunnel before blasting. The method was to be continually tested, and if it was insufficient, freezing could be used. As the tunnel advanced, the hole was to be continuously secured using carbon fibre-reinforced carbon
Reinforced carbon-carbon
Carbon fibre-reinforced carbon is a composite material consisting of carbon fibre reinforcement in a matrix of graphite. It was developed for the nose cones of intercontinental ballistic missiles, and is most widely known as the material for the nose cone and wing leading edges of the Space Shuttle...
gunite, self-boring bolts, steel ribs and full pouring. Work was taken up after a meeting on 27 March 1995, and on 16 August the final blast was made. Representatives from Selmer stated that the method they had chosen had resulted in international interest for the tunnel, and they had demonstrated it to several international delegations.
Tolls and auxiliary roads
The grants were only given for the tunnel to Bjorøy, and not for the necessary roads which would connect Tyssøy to Bjorøy. This caused local controversy, as some people on Bjorøy disagreed that the tolls on the Bjorøy Tunnel should pay for the Tyssøy Bridge. On 13 May 1993, the costs of the connection to Tyssøy were estimated at NOK 5 million. The issue was not resolved when the construction of the tunnel started. The original costs for the bridge were for NOK 11.4 million, including a 20 metres (65.6 ft) long bridge with a clearance of 10 metres (32.8 ft). This was later reduced to 10 metres (32.8 ft) length and 5 metres (16.4 ft), which reduced the costs to NOK 9.4 million. Of this, the county paid NOK 4 million, while the two municipalities had advanced the of transporting earthwork from the tunnel to the sound. On 22 January 1996, the tunnel company agreed to advance the construction costs and collect it from the tolls, with Sund Municipality guaranteeing for the debt.On 2 February 1996, the tunnel company had an agreement with Bru og Tunnelskelskapet, which operates the Bergen Toll Ring, to collect the tolls in the tunnel using the Autopass
Autopass
Autopass is an electronic toll collection system used in Norway. It allows collecting road tolls automatically from cars...
automatic toll collection system. A manual collection system was estimated to cost NOK 1.4 million per year, while an automated system was estimated at NOK 0.4 million. The tunnel opened on 7 May 1996, the same day the last ferry ran. Originally the plan was to charge tolls similar to the ferry. With a manual system, it would not be possible to charge for two-wheeled vehicles and passengers, so the fares for other vehicles were raised slightly. In 1995, it had cost NOK 44 for a single passing with a car on the ferry. The tolls were set to NOK 120 for all types of vehicles, except two-wheelers, and NOK 72 was charged per travel with pre-paid ticket books. Bus riders had to pay for two extra zones. The toll plaza was open a few hour each week to allow people to purchase discounted tickets.
The contract for the construction of the bridge to Tyssøy was announced on 20 August 1996, and was won by NCC Eeg-Henriksen Anlegg, who wanted NOK 8.5 million for the job. The link opened on 27 September 1997. In 2000, a public meeting was held in which it was proposed to reduce the rates and instead prolong the collection time, but this was rejected. In 1999, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration reported that the Bjorøy Tunnel had the cheapest administration costs per passing, at NOK 7,32, of all small toll companies. The tolls were removed on 29 January 2005, after eight years and eight months, almost half the stipulated time.