This is Norway's shortest car ferry route. The strait of Svelvikstrømmen is just 184 metres wide, connecting Svelvik on the Drammen side with Verket on the Hurum peninsula. The crossing takes about five minutes.
Do not let the short distance fool you. The current through Svelvikstrømmen is one of the strongest in Norway, reaching up to 5 knots on outgoing tide. The ferry actually sails about 400 metres to compensate for the drift. The strait is only 180 metres wide and about 13 metres deep, yet massive ships must pass through it to reach Drammen harbour, which handles over 70 percent of Norway's car imports. About 90,000 vehicles are unloaded there every year. The big RoRo ships carrying thousands of electric cars need to time their passage with the tide. When the first shipload of Tesla Model 3s arrived in early 2019, the car carrier squeezing through the narrow strait made the national news. In December 2023, the 238-metre Finneco I set the record as the largest ship ever to pass through.
A bridge has been proposed several times, but because of the ship traffic to Drammen, the Norwegian Coastal Authority would require at least 70 metres of clearance, higher than the existing 62-metre power line masts on either side. Locals called it the "monsterbru". A submerged tunnel was also discussed. Both ideas were shelved, and the ferry stays.
The first regular passenger ferry started in 1928. Since January 2022, the route is operated by the hybrid electric ferry MF Svelvik, 54 metres long, with room for 30 cars and 99 passengers. It runs about 40 departures daily on weekdays.
The ferry even made it onto a Norwegian postage stamp. Not bad for a five-minute ride.
Do not let the short distance fool you. The current through Svelvikstrømmen is one of the strongest in Norway, reaching up to 5 knots on outgoing tide. The ferry actually sails about 400 metres to compensate for the drift. The strait is only 180 metres wide and about 13 metres deep, yet massive ships must pass through it to reach Drammen harbour, which handles over 70 percent of Norway's car imports. About 90,000 vehicles are unloaded there every year. The big RoRo ships carrying thousands of electric cars need to time their passage with the tide. When the first shipload of Tesla Model 3s arrived in early 2019, the car carrier squeezing through the narrow strait made the national news. In December 2023, the 238-metre Finneco I set the record as the largest ship ever to pass through.
A bridge has been proposed several times, but because of the ship traffic to Drammen, the Norwegian Coastal Authority would require at least 70 metres of clearance, higher than the existing 62-metre power line masts on either side. Locals called it the "monsterbru". A submerged tunnel was also discussed. Both ideas were shelved, and the ferry stays.
The first regular passenger ferry started in 1928. Since January 2022, the route is operated by the hybrid electric ferry MF Svelvik, 54 metres long, with room for 30 cars and 99 passengers. It runs about 40 departures daily on weekdays.
The ferry even made it onto a Norwegian postage stamp. Not bad for a five-minute ride.