Carries 713 Design Suspension bridge Address 5780 Vallavik, Norway Construction started 2009 | Crosses Hardangerfjorden Width 20 metres (66 ft) Total length 1,400 m Opened 17 August 2013 | |
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Locale Ullensvang and Ulvik, Hordaland, Norway Maintained by Norwegian Public Roads Administration Hours Open today · Open 24 hoursThursdayOpen 24 hoursFridayOpen 24 hoursSaturdayOpen 24 hoursSundayOpen 24 hoursMondayOpen 24 hoursTuesdayOpen 24 hoursWednesdayOpen 24 hours Similar Vøringfossen, Hardangervidda, Hålogaland Bridge, Askøy Bridge, Låtefossen | ||
Statens vegvesen hardanger bridge 2009 2013
The Hardanger Bridge (Norwegian: Hardangerbrua) is a suspension bridge across the Eidfjorden branch of Hardangerfjorden in Hordaland county, Norway. The bridge connects the municipalities of Ullensvang and Ulvik. It replaced a ferry connection between Bruravik and Brimnes, and thereby shortens the driving time between Oslo and Bergen. It is the longest suspension bridge in Norway.
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A trip across the new hardanger bridge in western norway
Construction
The bridge was approved for building by the Norwegian Parliament on February 28, 2006, and construction began on February 26, 2009. While the bridge was engineered by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, the construction is done by MT Højgaard. The project had a budget of 2.3 billion kr (€290 million) and more than half of this will be paid by toll and saved ferry subsidies. The Administration is considering a different route over a future bridge as the main connection between East and West.
The ferry, serviced by Fjord1, ran across the fjord every 20–60 minutes depending on the season, and the trip lasted 10 minutes.
The bridge is 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) long, with a main span of 1,310 metres (4,300 ft). Sailing height is 55 metres (180 ft) and the towers reach 200 metres (660 ft) above sea level. There are two driving lanes for cars with an 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph) speed limit, and a separate lane for pedestrians and cyclists. The sailing height means that the largest cruise ships can't reach the inner Hardangerfjord anymore.
The traffic predicted for the bridge was only estimated to be 2000 vehicles per day. The opening of the bridge took place on 17 August 2013.
The main span is one of the longest suspension bridge spans in the world. It is also the longest tunnel to tunnel suspension bridge in the world. On the south end of the bridge, cars immediately enter the 1.2-kilometre (0.75 mi) Bu Tunnel that goes under the village of Bu and on the north side of the bridge, cars immediately enter the 7.5-kilometre (4.7 mi) Vallavik Tunnel which includes a 500-metre (1,600 ft) long segment to a roundabout inside the tunnel. At the roundabout, cars can take another 500-metre (1,600 ft) long tunnel that leads to Ulvik or they can take a 7-kilometre (4.3 mi) long tunnel to Granvin.