You're about to drive through the world's longest road tunnel: The Lærdaltunnel. At 24.5 kilometres, it takes about 20 minutes at the 80 km/h speed limit. The tunnel opened in November 2000 and finally gave Norway a ferry-free, year-round connection between Oslo and Bergen via Filefjell.
Before the tunnel, you had two choices: take the ferry across the Sognefjord, or drive over Aurlandsfjellet - a mountain road closed half the year due to snow. The tunnel changed everything for the communities here.
Driving through 24.5 kilometres of rock could send you to sleep, so engineers built in some clever features. The tunnel is divided into four sections by three large caverns where you can stop and rest. These caverns are lit with blue and yellow lights designed to mimic sunrise. The road itself is deliberately curved slightly to keep you alert.
There are no emergency exits - where would they go? You're under a mountain. But there are SOS phones every 250 metres, fire extinguishers every 125 metres, and 15 turnaround areas for larger vehicles. The tunnel also has the world's first built-in air treatment plant, filtering dust and nitrogen dioxide.
The entire tunnel has average speed measurement. Cameras photograph your car at both ends and calculate your average speed over the 19.5 kilometre section. No point braking just before the camera - if your average is over 80 km/h, you'll get a ticket.
The tunnel is currently being upgraded to meet EU safety regulations. When the original plan to close it completely for a whole year was announced, it caused uproar - the transport industry called it madness. The final solution: night closures from 18:00 to 06:00 for several years starting in late 2025. The blasting phase takes 2-3 years, then technical installations for another 2-3 years. If you're planning an evening drive through here, check the current status first.
The tunnel is toll-free.