The Oslofjordtunnel connects Frogn on the east side of the fjord to Hurum on the west side, part of the E134. King Harald V opened it on 29 June 2000. It is 7,306 metres long, drops 134 metres below sea level, and has a 7 percent gradient, which exceeds the EU limit of 5 percent for new tunnels.
The original plan was a bridge across the fjord. That was refused because of the proposed new airport at Hurum, which would have conflicted with a bridge. When Hurum lost the airport bid, Transport Minister Kjell Opseth pushed through a tunnel as compensation. The road administration recommended two tubes, but politicians approved only one to save money. The single tube has three lanes and cost 1.04 billion kroner. That decision has been expensive in other ways.
There have been serious fires: a paper truck caught fire in June 2011, trapping 34 people and hospitalising 12. Another paper truck burned in May 2017. A truck fire in August 2021 closed the tunnel for 10 days. There was also flooding in August 2003 and a rock collapse in December 2003 that cost 35 million kroner to repair. Heavy vehicles over 12 metres have been banned since 2012. The tunnel closes 200 to 300 times per year for unplanned reasons.
Toll drivers paid 1.4 billion kroner before tolls ended in August 2016, roughly double the original 699 million kroner debt.
A second tube is finally coming. In April 2026, a contract was signed with Veidekke for 5.4 billion kroner, with opening planned for spring 2033. That is 14 years behind the original target of 2019.
The original plan was a bridge across the fjord. That was refused because of the proposed new airport at Hurum, which would have conflicted with a bridge. When Hurum lost the airport bid, Transport Minister Kjell Opseth pushed through a tunnel as compensation. The road administration recommended two tubes, but politicians approved only one to save money. The single tube has three lanes and cost 1.04 billion kroner. That decision has been expensive in other ways.
There have been serious fires: a paper truck caught fire in June 2011, trapping 34 people and hospitalising 12. Another paper truck burned in May 2017. A truck fire in August 2021 closed the tunnel for 10 days. There was also flooding in August 2003 and a rock collapse in December 2003 that cost 35 million kroner to repair. Heavy vehicles over 12 metres have been banned since 2012. The tunnel closes 200 to 300 times per year for unplanned reasons.
Toll drivers paid 1.4 billion kroner before tolls ended in August 2016, roughly double the original 699 million kroner debt.
A second tube is finally coming. In April 2026, a contract was signed with Veidekke for 5.4 billion kroner, with opening planned for spring 2033. That is 14 years behind the original target of 2019.