Abstract
This article describes the construction of three tunnels off the West coast of Norway, linking alesund to the neighbouring islands. Two tunnels, the 3483 m alesund to ellingsoya and the 4175 m ellingsoya to valderoya, were completed in 1987, and a third tunnel, between the islands of giske and godoy, has nearly been finished. The usual cross-sectional area of the tunnels is 68 sq m, to accommodate a 3-lane highway; however, the 500 m long mid section of one tunnel has cross-sectional area 47 sq M, accommodating 2 lanes only. The clear height of all tunnels is 4.6 m. All the tunnels have been driven by drill and blast techniques, using wheel loaders and diesel haul trucks to remove debris. Details are given of the tunnel driving cycle times, the workforce, drilling and charging, probe holes, and support. The article concludes that this is a high quality tunnelling project, in which a combination of good planning and management has reduced the construction period by over a year. The experience gained from these tunnels is likely to have a strong influence on similar projects in future, not only in Norway but throughout the world. (TRRL)
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