Based on the text, answer question.
First ship tunnel to be constructed in Norway
Norway plans for
a pioneering construction
project that will facilitate ship transportation. The
plan includes the construction of
a tumnel from
which ships will pass by in order to avoid the Stad
peninsula. The endeavor has been underway since
2017 and was approved by Norway”s Ministry of
Transport and Communications in late February
2021.
The waters in the Stad peninsula are dangerous
since it is an exposed area where navigation is
challenging. Except for the water currents, the
underwater topography creates additional issues
including unpredictable waves which may persist
for
a significant amount of time after
a storm has
passed.
The Norwegian Coastal Administration stated
that plans for alternatives such as the one currently underway have been suggested for years. Even the
Vikings used to drag their ships over the land in
order to avoid the dangerous conditions around the
peninsula. During World War II, the Germans also
made plans to construct
a similar project, however,
according to Terje Andreassen, head of the
Norwegian Coastal Administration, “the war didn”t
last long enough to build it”.
The tunnel will create an alternative, faster
route for ships around the peninsula. It will stretch
for 1700 meters and will be 37 and 36 meters in
height and width, respectively. The construction
will begin from the two sides of the tunnel
(probably using the drilling and blasting
technique). The tunnel face will be excavated in
multiple phases. The top of the tunnel will be
supported by
a layer of shotcrete. Routes from
which the excavated material will be transported
outside ofthe tunnel will also be established.
The two entrances of the tunnel will feature
walls made from the excavated rocks. The interior
of the facility will have led lights that will function
both as an aesthetic and
a navigation tool. The
design aims at making the tunnel fit with the
surrounding nature and not interrupt the natural
environment.
The total cost of the project is expected to
reach $325MM with officials mentioning that
funding has been secured. The construction process
is planned to begin in early 2022 after signing
a
contract in 2021. Officials suggest that the
construction phase will last for 3-4 years, hence, the
tunnel will be completed by 2026.
Norway is
a pioneering country for tunnel
engineering and has more than 1,100 facilities. The
rough terrain and the rockmass conditions (which
are generally good) have favored the establishment
of such projects.
Despite the excitement for the project, not
everyone is in favor of it. According to Knut
Samset, Professor of project management at the
Norwegian University of Science and Technology,
the project is not going to be financially prosperous
due to its high cost, the fact that it will not always
be thefaster route and that modem ships will not be
obliged to use it. “It's
a very expensive thing.
Weather permitting, it's as fast to sail around the
cape as it is to sail into the fjord and through the tunnel. Plus, today”s boats are big enough and safe
enough to handle the choppy waters, which makes
traveling through the tunnel
a moot point.”, Prof.
Samset stated.
(From https:// www.geoengineer.org>news)
It is true about the text that