Hvalfjörður Tunnel
South entrance | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Western Region and Capital Region, Iceland |
| Route | 1 |
| Operation | |
| Work begun | 1996 |
| Opened | 1998 |
| Operator | Icelandic Road Administration (since 2018) Spölur (until 2018) |
| Traffic | Automotive |
| Vehicles per day | Summer: 11,000 Winter: 6,700 |
| Technical | |
| Length | 5,770 m (18,930 ft) |
| No. of lanes | 2-3 |
| Operating speed | 70km/h |
| Highest elevation | 15 m (49 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | −165 m (−541 ft) |
| Grade | 8.1% (max.) |
The Hvalfjörður Tunnel (Icelandic: Hvalfjarðargöng pronounced [ˈkʰvalˌfjarðarˌkœyŋk] ⓘ) is a subsea road tunnel under the Hvalfjörður fjord in Iceland and a part of Route 1. It is 5,770 meters (18,930 ft) long and reaches a depth of 165 meters (541 ft) below sea level. Opened on 11 July 1998, it shortens the distance from Reykjavík to the western and northern parts of the country by 45 kilometers (28 mi). Passing the fjord now takes 7 minutes instead of about an hour.
The tunnel was constructed as a private-public partnership (PPP) project, managed by the company Spölur, while the Verkís company handled almost all of the design. Spölur was also the owner and operator of the tunnel until 2018, when ownership and administration of the tunnel were transferred as planned to the Icelandic Road Administration (Vegagerðin). This project was a milestone in Icelandic construction as it was the first private finance initiative without direct funding by the state treasury.