Friday, 11 September 2026
Norway is preparing for a major upgrade of the 24.5-kilometre Lærdal Tunnel after Skanska secured a contract worth approximately NOK 1.6 billion from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. The project will modernise a critical section of the E16 connecting eastern and western Norway, with construction scheduled to begin in November 2026.
The contract, equivalent to around SEK 1.5 billion, will be included in Skanska’s Nordic order intake for the third quarter of 2026. The programme is expected to run for approximately three years, with completion planned for 2029.
The Lærdal Tunnel holds particular significance for Norway’s transport network. Extending for 24.5 kilometres, it is the world’s longest road tunnel and forms part of an important overland connection between Oslo and Bergen. The route supports passenger journeys as well as the movement of commercial traffic between the country’s eastern and western regions.
Rather than constructing additional road capacity, the investment will concentrate on extending the performance of existing infrastructure. Skanska will undertake substantial rehabilitation work and renew technical installations, with particular attention given to systems supporting safe and dependable tunnel operations.
The complexity of the project will be increased by the requirement to maintain traffic access for much of the construction period. Working inside a tunnel of this length while limiting disruption to an important national transport route will require construction activities and traffic arrangements to be closely coordinated.
The contract reflects a wider infrastructure challenge facing European transport authorities as ageing tunnels, bridges and roads require increasingly substantial investment. Upgrading existing assets can involve complex engineering and significant expenditure, particularly where infrastructure must continue operating while construction is underway.
For Norway, maintaining the Lærdal Tunnel is particularly important because of the country’s geography and the limited number of major east-west road connections. Reliable transport links influence freight movements, regional business activity and accessibility between economic centres on opposite sides of the country.
Work is due to start in November 2026, with the upgraded tunnel scheduled for completion in 2029.
