Skarnsund Bridge
Encyclopedia
Skarnsund Bridge is a 1010 metres (3,313.6 ft) long concrete cable-stayed bridge
that crosses the Skarnsundet sound
, in Nord-Trøndelag
county, Norway
. When finished in 1991, it replaced the Vangshylla–Kjerringvik Ferry
and it gives the communities in Mosvik
and Leksvik
easier access to the central areas of Innherred. The bridge is the only road crossing of the Trondheimsfjord
, and is located on Norwegian County Road 755.
The bridge has a span of 530 metres (1,739 ft), making it the longest of its type in the world for two years. The two 152 metres (498.7 ft) tall pylon
s are located at Kjerringvik
in Mosvik on the west side, and at Vangshylla
in Inderøy
on the east side. Following the opening, there was a seventeen-year collection of tolls
, needed to finance 30% of the investment. In 2007, the bridge was listed as a cultural heritage
.
is a municipality on the Fosen
peninsula
and part of Nord-Trøndelag
county. The first automotive transport from Mosvik to the more populated area of Innherred commenced in 1958, when the ferry company Innherredsferja
started the Levanger
–Hokstad
–Vangshylla–Kjerringvik–Venneshamn
route. In 1964, the road between Kjerringvik and Vennesham, both in Mosvik, opened, and a new ferry was purchased, establishing the Vangshylla–Kjerringvik Ferry.
The ferry, and subsequently the bridge, is located at the narrowest section of Skarnsundet, between the villages of Kjerringvik and Vangshylla. In addition to Mosvik, the bridge also caters for the larger municipality Leksvik
, further out along the fjord. The bridge is the only one to cross the Trondheimsfjord
.
. The bridge cost NOK 200 million. The bridge was opened by King Harald V
on 19 December 1991, after he had taken the last ferry across the fjord. A monument, the King's Stone, bearing the signature of the king, is located at the resting place on the Mosvik side.
Following the opening, it won several awards: the Concrete Plate (1992); Beautiful Roads Award (1994); and the international FIP Award (1994). In 2008, the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage
listed the bridge as a protected cultural heritage. In 2010, the bridge came in second in a competition held by Teknisk Ukeblad
to declare Norway's most beautiful road bridge.
The bridge is one of the world's longest cable-stayed bridge
s, with a length of 1010 metres (3,313.6 ft). The span is 530 metres (1,738.8 ft), while the two towers are 152 metres (498.7 ft) above sea level. The deck is 2.15 metres (7.1 ft) deep, and 13 metres (42.7 ft) wide, with two lanes for automobiles and one for pedestrians and bicycles. It is the longest concrete
cable-stayed span. The sailing height is 45 metres (147.6 ft). The bridge was, on its completion, the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world by the length of main span, but has since lost the title.
The original construction work also included 1.6 kilometre (0.994196378639691 mi) of new road, including a resting place on the Mosvik side. In the construction of the bridge, 19600 cubic metres (25,635.8 cu yd) concrete was used and the 208 cable
s, with a total length of 33 kilometres (20.5 mi), weighed 1030 tonnes (1,013.7 LT). The cables have diameters varying between 52 and 85 mm (2 and 3.3 in) and can, if needed, be replaced separately. The bridge's foundations are bedrock
below the seabed
under each tower. The bridge was built to withstand winds up to 48.5 m/s (century storms) and has been designed to withstand earthquakes.
. The debt was borrowed by the private company, that was given a concession
to operate a toll plaza on the Inderøy side. Including interest, NOK 80 million was collected, and the bridge was paid off three years before schedule. The Vanvikan
-based company was disestablished following the closure of the plaza. Until only a few years before the closing, it was the only toll plaza in Nord-Trøndelag. There were several price increases during the toll period. The bridge was free for pedestrians and cyclists, but all motor vehicles were charged, although discounts were available for frequent travelers. The plaza was manned, and did not take into use Autopass
, like many other plazas.
Cable-stayed bridge
A cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one or more columns , with cables supporting the bridge deck....
that crosses the Skarnsundet sound
Sound (geography)
In geography a sound or seaway is a large sea or ocean inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bight and wider than a fjord; or it may be defined as a narrow sea or ocean channel between two bodies of land ....
, in Nord-Trøndelag
Nord-Trøndelag
is a county constituting the northern part of Trøndelag in Norway. As of 2010, the county had 131,555 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-least populated county. The largest municipalities are Stjørdal, Steinkjer—the county seat, Levanger, Namsos and Verdal, all with between 21,000 and...
county, 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...
. When finished in 1991, it replaced the Vangshylla–Kjerringvik Ferry
Vangshylla–Kjerringvik Ferry
The Vangshylla–Kjerringvik Ferry is a closed automobile ferry on Norwegian County Road 755 that once connected the village of Kjerringvik in Mosvik municipality on the Fosen peninsula to the village of Vangshylla in the municipality of Inderøy in Innherred...
and it gives the communities in Mosvik
Mosvik
Mosvik is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Mosvik...
and Leksvik
Leksvik
Leksvik is a village and a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Leksvik. Other villages in Leksvik include Vanvikan, Seter, and Dalbygda. Norwegian County Road 755 is the main road that connects the whole municipality from...
easier access to the central areas of Innherred. The bridge is the only road crossing of the Trondheimsfjord
Trondheimsfjord
The Trondheimsfjord , an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, is Norway's third longest fjord at long. It is located in the west central part of the country, and it stretches from Ørland in west to Steinkjer in north, passing the city of Trondheim on its way...
, and is located on Norwegian County Road 755.
The bridge has a span of 530 metres (1,739 ft), making it the longest of its type in the world for two years. The two 152 metres (498.7 ft) tall pylon
Abutment
An abutment is, generally, the point where two structures or objects meet. This word comes from the verb abut, which means adjoin or having common boundary. An abutment is an engineering term that describes a structure located at the ends of a bridge, where the bridge slab adjoins the approaching...
s are located at Kjerringvik
Kjerringvik
Kjerringvik is a village located in the municipality of Mosvik in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located on the shore of the Trondheimsfjord at Skarnsund about northeast of the municipal center of Mosvik....
in Mosvik on the west side, and at Vangshylla
Vangshylla
Vangshylla is a village in the municipality of Inderøy in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located at the southwest end of the Inderøy peninsula in the Utøy area, surrounded on two sides by the Trondheimsfjord. It sits at the southern end of the Skarnsund strait. Until 1991, when the...
in Inderøy
Inderøy
Inderøy is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Straumen. Other villages include Gangstadhaugen, Hylla, Kjerknesvågen, Røra, Sakshaug, Sandvollan, Småland, Utøy, and Vangshylla.The...
on the east side. Following the opening, there was a seventeen-year collection of tolls
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...
, needed to finance 30% of the investment. In 2007, the bridge was listed as a cultural heritage
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
.
Background
MosvikMosvik
Mosvik is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Mosvik...
is a municipality on the Fosen
Fosen
Fosen is a traditional district in Trøndelag, consisting of the municipalities Osen, Roan, Åfjord, Bjugn, Ørland, Rissa, Agdenes, Snillfjord, Hemne, Hitra and Frøya. The district is dominated by forested valleys, lakes, coastal cliffs but also shallow areas, and in the interior mountains reaching...
peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
and part of Nord-Trøndelag
Nord-Trøndelag
is a county constituting the northern part of Trøndelag in Norway. As of 2010, the county had 131,555 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-least populated county. The largest municipalities are Stjørdal, Steinkjer—the county seat, Levanger, Namsos and Verdal, all with between 21,000 and...
county. The first automotive transport from Mosvik to the more populated area of Innherred commenced in 1958, when the ferry company Innherredsferja
Innherredsferja
Innherredsferja AS was a Norwegian ferry operator in the Trondheimsfjord in Nord-Trøndelag county. It operated the Levanger–Hokstad Ferry between the town of Levanger and the island of Ytterøya, and the Vangshylla–Kjerringvik Ferry between Inderøy and Mosvik...
started the Levanger
Levanger
Levanger is a town and municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherred region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Levanger...
–Hokstad
Hokstad
Hokstad is a village on the island of Ytterøya in the municipality of Levanger in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is the largest settlement on the island. The village has a ferry quay that serves the Levanger–Hokstad Ferry that connects the island to the town of Levanger on the mainland. ...
–Vangshylla–Kjerringvik–Venneshamn
Venneshamn
Venneshamn is a village in the municipality of Mosvik in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located along the Trondheimsfjord on the west side of Mosvik. It is about north of the municipal center of Mosvik, and about north of the village of Kjerringvika and the Skarnsund Bridge that connects...
route. In 1964, the road between Kjerringvik and Vennesham, both in Mosvik, opened, and a new ferry was purchased, establishing the Vangshylla–Kjerringvik Ferry.
The ferry, and subsequently the bridge, is located at the narrowest section of Skarnsundet, between the villages of Kjerringvik and Vangshylla. In addition to Mosvik, the bridge also caters for the larger municipality Leksvik
Leksvik
Leksvik is a village and a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Leksvik. Other villages in Leksvik include Vanvikan, Seter, and Dalbygda. Norwegian County Road 755 is the main road that connects the whole municipality from...
, further out along the fjord. The bridge is the only one to cross the Trondheimsfjord
Trondheimsfjord
The Trondheimsfjord , an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, is Norway's third longest fjord at long. It is located in the west central part of the country, and it stretches from Ørland in west to Steinkjer in north, passing the city of Trondheim on its way...
.
History
The first meeting of local commercial and political interests to establish a bridge was made in 1972. By 1983, it was formalized by the establishment of the company AS Skarnsundsbrua to finance construction. The Norwegian Parliament passed the plans in 1986, and construction started two years later. The main contractor was Aker; and after the bridge was finished, maintenance was taken over by the Nord-Trøndelag 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...
. The bridge cost NOK 200 million. The bridge was opened by King Harald V
Harald V of Norway
Harald V is the king of Norway. He succeeded to the throne of Norway upon the death of his father Olav V on 17 January 1991...
on 19 December 1991, after he had taken the last ferry across the fjord. A monument, the King's Stone, bearing the signature of the king, is located at the resting place on the Mosvik side.
Following the opening, it won several awards: the Concrete Plate (1992); Beautiful Roads Award (1994); and the international FIP Award (1994). In 2008, the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage
Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage
The Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage is a government agency responsible for the management of cultural heritage in Norway. Subordinate the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, it manages the Cultural Heritage Act of June 9, 1978....
listed the bridge as a protected cultural heritage. In 2010, the bridge came in second in a competition held by Teknisk Ukeblad
Teknisk Ukeblad
Teknisk Ukeblad is Norway's leading engineering journal.TU has appeared weekly since 13 April 1883 and is published by Ingeniørforlaget, jointly owned by three national professional associations of engineers and architects: the Norwegian Society of Engineers and Technologists , Tekna , and the...
to declare Norway's most beautiful road bridge.
Specifications
Cable-stayed bridge
A cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one or more columns , with cables supporting the bridge deck....
s, with a length of 1010 metres (3,313.6 ft). The span is 530 metres (1,738.8 ft), while the two towers are 152 metres (498.7 ft) above sea level. The deck is 2.15 metres (7.1 ft) deep, and 13 metres (42.7 ft) wide, with two lanes for automobiles and one for pedestrians and bicycles. It is the longest concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
cable-stayed span. The sailing height is 45 metres (147.6 ft). The bridge was, on its completion, the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world by the length of main span, but has since lost the title.
The original construction work also included 1.6 kilometre (0.994196378639691 mi) of new road, including a resting place on the Mosvik side. In the construction of the bridge, 19600 cubic metres (25,635.8 cu yd) concrete was used and the 208 cable
Cable
A cable is two or more wires running side by side and bonded, twisted or braided together to form a single assembly. In mechanics cables, otherwise known as wire ropes, are used for lifting, hauling and towing or conveying force through tension. In electrical engineering cables are used to carry...
s, with a total length of 33 kilometres (20.5 mi), weighed 1030 tonnes (1,013.7 LT). The cables have diameters varying between 52 and 85 mm (2 and 3.3 in) and can, if needed, be replaced separately. The bridge's foundations are bedrock
Bedrock
In stratigraphy, bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet, usually the Earth. Above the bedrock is usually an area of broken and weathered unconsolidated rock in the basal subsoil...
below the seabed
Seabed
The seabed is the bottom of the ocean.- Ocean structure :Most of the oceans have a common structure, created by common physical phenomena, mainly from tectonic movement, and sediment from various sources...
under each tower. The bridge was built to withstand winds up to 48.5 m/s (century storms) and has been designed to withstand earthquakes.
Financing
Toll collection started the day after the opening, and lasted until 24 May 2007. Seventy percent of the costs were to be covered by the state, and thirty percent through toll feesToll 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...
. The debt was borrowed by the private company, that was given a concession
Concession (contract)
A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
to operate a toll plaza on the Inderøy side. Including interest, NOK 80 million was collected, and the bridge was paid off three years before schedule. The Vanvikan
Vanvikan
Vanvikan is a village in the municipality of Leksvik in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located along the Trondheimsfjord in the southwestern part of the municipality, near the border with Rissa in Sør-Trøndelag. The village has a population of 749. The population density is...
-based company was disestablished following the closure of the plaza. Until only a few years before the closing, it was the only toll plaza in Nord-Trøndelag. There were several price increases during the toll period. The bridge was free for pedestrians and cyclists, but all motor vehicles were charged, although discounts were available for frequent travelers. The plaza was manned, and did not take into use Autopass
Autopass
Autopass is an electronic toll collection system used in Norway. It allows collecting road tolls automatically from cars...
, like many other plazas.
See also
- List of longest cable stayed bridges