Sandoyartunnilin

Sandoyartunnilin

Aerial photo of the new Gamlarætt ferry port, where the Streymoy entrance of the Sandoyartunnilin is also located (near the jetty)
Overview
Location	Sandoy and Streymoy, Faroe Islands
Status	Open
Operation
Work begun	2019
Opened	21 December 2023
Owner	Faroese government
Operator	P/F Eystur- og Sandoyartunlar
Traffic	Automotive
Toll	Yes
Vehicles per day	1,006 (2024)[1]
Technical
Length	10,785 m (35,384 ft)
No. of lanes	2
Operating speed	80 km/h (50 mph)
Highest elevation	50.7 m (166 ft)
Width	10.5 m (34 ft)[2]
Depth of tunnel below water level	155.1 m (509 ft)
Grade	5.0% (max.)

Sandoyartunnilin (transl. Sandoy Tunnel) is an undersea road tunnel in the Faroe Islands. It connects the main island of Streymoy with Sandoy to the south. The length of the tunnel is 10.8 kilometres (6.7 mi), and the estimated cost is 860 million DKK.^[3] The tunnel opened for traffic on 21 December 2023, after which the ferry Teistin ceased its route between Gamlarætt on Streymoy and Skopun on Sandoy.^[4] The tunnel crosses the Skopunarfjørður and runs from Gamlarætt to Traðardalur in central Sandoy, near the Inni í Dal stadium.^[5]

The two sides of the tunnel were connected during a ceremony on 3 February 2022.^[6] Construction began on 27 June 2019, and the halfway mark was hit in September 2020.^[7]

In political, legal and financial terms, the project is linked to the Eysturoyartunnilin, which was opened for traffic on 19 December 2020.^[8] The Eysturoyartunnilin, at more than tenfold the traffic numbers projected for the Sandoyartunnilin, will partially finance the latter via cross subsidisation once the former's investment has been returned. Toll levels of Sandoyartunnilin are pegged to those of the Eysturoyartunnilin.^[9] It was projected that 300–400 vehicles per day would use the tunnel to Sandoy.^[10][11] In comparison, the average daily ridership of the ferry route was 195 vehicles (with drivers) and 613 passengers (excluding drivers) in 2021.^[12] However, in February 2024, the first full month with tolls, 783 vehicles used the tunnel, and 919 in March, approximately twice the projected traffic volume.^[13] Also, the other three sub-sea tunnels saw an increase in traffic. The ridership of the Sandoyartunnilin would be further increased if it could act as a stepping stone for the Suðuroyartunnilin, or new ferry route, to Suðuroy.

A new residential and industrial area is being built with tunnel debris at Velbastaður.^[14] Other debris has been used in Runavík and Strendur for new bypass roads.

Bus route 650 uses the tunnel daily from Sandur to Tórshavn. On Sandoy, it connects with services to Skálavík, Húsavík, Dalur and Skopun, and in Tórshavn with various Bussleiðin and national routes. It also connects with the ferry service to Hestur in Gamlarætt and Skúvoy in Sandur.

The Faroese Útoyggjafelagið (transl. Outpost Island Society) lobbied for a branch to the island of Hestur, but this was deprioritised due to costs. Gamlarætt will remain a ferry port for Hestur after the Sandoy route terminates.^[15]

See also

• List of tunnels of the Faroe Islands

References

1. "Hagtøl" [Statistics]. tunnil.fo. January–August 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
2. "Framgongd við boring". estunlar.fo (in Faroese). Tunnil. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
3. Kaj Joensen; Christian Loiborg (14 April 2014). "Færøerne får undersøiske tunneler for to milliarder kroner" (in Danish). Retrieved 30 September 2015.
4. "The Sandoy tunnel". Eysturoyar- og Sandoyartunlar. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
5. Samuelsen, Ingi (23 February 2016). "Fylla út á Saltnesi fyri ferðsluni frá Eysturoyartunnlinum" (in Faroese). Portal.fo. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
6. "Hol ígjøgnum og cognac undir Skopunarfirði". dagur.fo (in Faroese). Dagur. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
7. "Helvtin borað". dagur.fo (in Faroese). Dagur. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
8. Djurhuus, Høgni (26 November 2020). "Tórshavn-Eysturoy tunnel to open before Christmas". kvf.fo (in Faroese). Kringvarp Føroya. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
9. Mikkelsen, Kári (30 August 2018). "Ætla at lata tunnilin upp fyri ferðslu hálvan desember". kvf.fo (in Faroese). Kringvarp Føroya. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
10. "Sandoyartunnilin". estunlar.fo (in Faroese). Tunnil. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
11. "Sandoyartunnilin". Tunnil (in Faroese). Retrieved 6 March 2024.
12. "Hagtøl". ssl.fo (in Faroese). Strandfaraskip Landsins. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
13. "Hagtøl". Tunnil (in Faroese). Retrieved 6 March 2024.
14. Djurhuus, Høgni (17 December 2021). "New district planned near Velbastaður". kvf.fo (in Faroese). Kringvarp Føroya. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
15. "Hestur Skal Knytast Uppi Sandoyartunnilin". umsit.portal.fo (in Faroese). Portal. Retrieved 22 December 2023.

61.92°N 6.82°W / 61.92; -6.82