Driving the Lærdal valley

Driving the Lærdal valley, first descending from the Hemsedal mountain, then stopping at the Borgund Stave Church and driving through the Lærdal tunnel - the longest road tunnel in the world!

Lærdal Tunnel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lærdal Tunnel (Norwegian: Lærdalstunnelen) is a 24.5 km (15.2 mi)-long road tunnel connecting Lærdal and Aurland in Sogn og Fjordane county in western Norway. Construction started in 1995 and was completed in 2000, thus succeeding the Gotthard Road Tunnel as the longest road tunnel in the world. The tunnel is a part of the E16 main route between Oslo and Bergen.^[1]

Rail tunnels such as the Seikan Tunnel in Japan and the Channel Tunnel between England and France can exceed 50 km (30 miles) in length.

The design of the tunnel takes into consideration the mental strain on drivers, so the tunnel is divided into four sections, separated by three large mountain caves. The caves break the routine, providing a refreshing view and allowing drivers to take a short rest.^[1]

Unlike the newest tunnels in Norway, the tunnel is not tolled.