View of the north entrance to the tunnel | |
Overview | |
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Location | Sør-Trøndelag, Norway |
Route | Norwegian National Road 714 |
Operation | |
Opened | 8 December 1994 |
Traffic | Automotive |
Technical | |
Length | 5,645 metres (18,520 ft) |
Number of lanes | 3 |
Lowest elevation | −264 metres (−866.1 ft) |
Grade | 10% |
The Hitra Tunnel (Norwegian: Hitratunnelen) is an undersea tunnel connecting the island municipality of Hitra to the mainland municipality of Snillfjord in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The tunnel is 5,645 metres (18,520 ft) long and reaches a depth of 264 metres (866 ft) below sea level, making it the deepest tunnel in the world when it was built.[1][2]
The tunnel begins in Hitra on the island of Jøsnøya, just south of Sandstad. The tunnel then runs under the Trondheimsleia to the island of Hemnskjela in Snillfjord. There is a small bridge connecting Hemnskjela to the mainland.
The tunnel has 3 lanes. Nearly 2,500 cars are hurtling through it every day. Electronics and pumps are handling over 10,000 gallons of water per hour. (Source: Hitra·Frøya Nr. 46, 36. årgang, Tirsdag 21 juni 2011.)
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