NCC to build tunnels in Norway for SEK 570 million

NCC Construction AS in Norway has signed a contract with the Norwegian Road Administration (Statens Veivesen) for construction on the Finnfast project in Rogaland. The order value is about SEK 570 million and includes an underwater tunnel between the islands of Rennesøy and Finnnøy on state highway 519 and a connecting tunnel to the island of Talgje.

Civil engineering work will begin in August. Through the project, the islands of Finnnøy and Talgje in the county of Ryfylke will gain a permanent road connection to Stavanger on the mainland before the end of 2009. “This project was prioritized when we evaluated the very large number of major road projects for which tenders were requested during the spring. The Finnfast project is well matched to the capacity that we have built up in our civil engineering operations, and we are pleased that we can now begin preparations for the start of work after the summer holidays,” says Knut Liavaag, district manager in the Civil Engineering division of NCC Construction AS. The project consists primarily of construction of a 5,684-meter tunnel under the ocean between Hanasand on Rennesøy and Ladstein on Finnnøy. A connecting tunnel of 1,500-meters will also be built to the island of Telgje, also in Finnnøy Municipality. In addition, new roadways will be built, including a traffic circle at Hanasand and roads in Ladstein and on Talgje. The Finnfast project will be largely financed by road fees, state investment funds and the funds save from support to ferry traffic. According to the calculations, motorists will need to pay road fees for 20 years. The project will be included in orders received during the third quarter of 2006. For further information, please contact: Øyvind Kvaal, Communications Manager, NCC Construction Norway, +47 900 76 910 All of NCC’s press releases are available on www.ncc.info