As most cities explore ways to make their streets friendlier for cyclists and pedestrians, government agencies often recommend installation protected bike lanes or maybe close a street to traffic. Hardly any municipality is ambitious enough to create infrastructure specifically for the purpose of being car-free. However, Bergen, Norway is preparing to open a vibrant 1.8-mile tunnel for cyclists and pedestrians only.
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Fyllingsdalstunnelen is a tunnel cut throughgh one of sevenn mountains surround Bergen. The 1.8-mile tunnel will connect the residential area of Fyllingsdalen with the southwest center Norwegian city. When the tunnel opens on April 15, it will take 10 minutes by bike from one end to the other, or up to 45 minutes if walking across the street. While it soundsLike spending a lot of time in confined spaces underground, transit will reduce travel time. According to EuronewsThe tunnel will shorten the normally 40-minute journey to 25 minutes.
Fyllingsdalstunnelen has been built with safety and comfort in mind. The tunnel is lit with colorful lighting fixtures and the walls are beautifully decorated. There are also security cameras and an emergency phone every 800 feet. And if you’re nervous about walking continuously for 45 minutes, there are stops inside the tunnel. The entire length is also heated to 44 degrees, which is especially important in the Norwegian winter.
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The tunnel’s construction was partly born out of an very unique opportunity. It was meant to serve as an emergency tunnel for a parallel light rail tunnel, but plans were expanded to allow for public use. Project manager Arild Tveit told Euronews, “It’s basically an escape tunnel for trams. But then there are lucid minds that say it’s possible to cycle through this tunnel. By creating a path here, people can also exercise… So public health is in every meter of this tunnel.”
Construction was funded by Bergen’s state-supported Miljøløftet, or Environmental Promise in English, agency. The organization hopes that the tunnel, along with other efforts, will encourage more people to cycle or walk while driving, reducing emissions, pollution and traffic.
When Fyllingsdalstunnelen opens on April 15Fifth, it will be the longest purpose-built bicycle tunnel in the world. There is a longer tunnel in the United States, the Snoqualmie Tunnel. The 2.2-mile tunnel outside Seattle, Washington was built in 1914 for the Milwaukee Line, a defunct railroad. The tunnel was abandoned in 1980 and converted to railroad tracks, not built for purpose.
