The World's Longest Bicycle And Pedestrian Tunnel To Open In April

Illustration of the Flellingsdalen tunnel in Norway. (Source: Bybanen Utbygging)

JAKARTA - If nothing changes, Norway will open a Fyllingsdalen tunnel, the longest pedestrian and bicycle tunnel in the world on April 15.

The tunnel, which cut Mount Lovstakken in Bergen, was built parallel to a new light rail line opened in November and connects the Flellingsdalen region with the city center.

The tunnel also serves as an exit for train passengers, with special pedestrian and bicycle lanes 2.25 and 3.5 meters wide, respectively, including in its design.

With a length of 2.9 km, it will take about 10 minutes for cyclists and 30 to 45 minutes for pedestrians to cross this tunnel.

The Stylesdal Tunnel and other bicycle routes to the center of Bergen City have been financed through the city government-backed Environmental Promise program, which aims to make it easier for people to choose to ride and walk rather than drive.

The project aims to help reduce traffic in cities, reduce the emissions of planetary warming and unhealthy pollution, reported The National News March 7.

In comparison, the Snoqualmie tunnel near Seattle, Washington, in the US has a length of 3.6 km. That makes the Fedllingsdal tunnel the second-longest tunnel in the world. However, this is the longest to build to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.

The tunnel will open from 05.30 to 23.30 a day, providing a bright resting place and security cameras throughout the area.

Full-colour dynamical lighting will create a wave of light when cyclists or pedestrians enter the tunnel at both ends, reminding cyclists of the traffic that comes.

An emergency call is available every 250 meters, with temperatures here set at a constant of 7$C, making it an attractive training route for runners on colder days.

It is known, this tunnel project accepts government investment, with the state bearing half of the additional 500 million kroner (about 40 million) costs, to increase emergency tunnels into bicycle lanes and pedestrians.