Norðoyatunnilin

The Norðoyatunnilin (Northern Islands tunnel) is the longest tunnel in the Faroe Islands. It connects Leirvík on Eysturoy with Klaksvík on Borðoy and passes under the Strait Leirvíksfjørður.

The tunnel is at its lowest point 150 m below sea level, is 6.3 km long. Construction began in Leirvík on 18 December 2003 and in Klaksvík on 20 April 2004. Tunnel was pierced on 25 June 2005 and on 29 April 2006 handed over to the car traffic, three months earlier than planned. This day was considered as an important date in the history of the Faroe Islands and celebrated accordingly.

The refinancing of the planned 355 million crowns cost of construction is done by toll, which is actually slightly lower than the previous ferry fare.

Through the tunnel is hoped that in Klaksvík an economic boom. The overburden of the construction work has been spilled there to land reclamation in the harbor basin. On this new peninsula shopping center to be built where you can not only customer expects from the Northern Isles, but also from Eysturoy.

At the same time it allows the tunnel, and back to go at any time day or night between the Northern Isles, the main islands Eysturoy and Stremoy and the West Island Vágar ago.

The North Island is named after the tunnel Vágartunnel the second undersea tunnel in the Faroe Islands. After its completion is planned to start with the Sandoytunnel.

As with the Vágartunnel a corporation is also the North Island tunnel builder, where the Faroese government has the largest share. The company is called Norðoyatunnilin pf. and is located in Tórshavn.

A bus from Strandfaraskip Landsins now connects several times a day, the two largest cities Klaksvík and Tórshavn. The journey time is approximately 70 km to 90 min. The existing ferry between Leirvík and Klaksvík was suspended on the day of the tunnel opening.

The center of the tunnel was in interior design is equipped with lighting installed by Tróndur Patursson and signaled to the driver so that he has managed to half the distance.

The toll will be charged automatically. Frequent users usually have a 5, 10 or 20 card, install it behind the windscreen. The advantage are 20, 40 or 50 % off the normal price. These cards are non-transferable per passage recognized by radio and canceled accordingly. There is an annual subscription which is paid in monthly installments. This is worth from six crossings a month. All other users must go to a vending machine past from which they draw a coupon that must be paid at the next gas station. The tunnel is under camera surveillance and the marks are registered.

One of the " seven wonders Faroese "

To Ólavsøka 2007, the Faroese television Sjónvarp Føroya organized a national competition over the "seven Faroese miracle," in which the audience could make any suggestions about specific buildings and other objects. A ranking of the eight winners (due to a tie, in one case) has not been announced, but the Norðoyatunnilin one of them. The others are the pews of Kirkjubøur, the Magnus Cathedral, the Christianskirkjan in Klaksvík house of the north, Tinganes, the first flag of the Faroe Islands in the Church of Fámjin and the seat of Reichsombudsschaft in the Faroe Islands (the last two with equality of votes ).