The Norwegian Public Roads Administration (SVV) has been tasked with investigating technical solutions to replace all ferry services on E39 with fixed connections. Altogether there are eight ferry services along the route, and five of these fjords are too broad and deep for traditional bridge and tunnel technology to be used. The fjords concerned are Bjørnafjorden, Sulafjorden, Sognefjorden, Halsafjorden and Vartdalsfjorden, and it is ‘Ferry Free E39 sub-project Fjord Crossing’ that has the task of developing concepts for safe and effective crossing of these fjords. The concepts that have been investigated so far fall primarily into three categories: Pontoon bridge, hereunder floating bridge with tension leg anchored towers (TLP type), side anchored floating bridge and floating bridge with only end-anchoring. — Suspension bridge with one or more spans, including suspension bridge on floating foundations. — Submerged floating tunnel, hereunder tension leg anchored or pontoon stabilised. The concepts have different challenges, but commonly they are all very long, slim structures, with significant dynamic stress from wind and waves. The dimensions will vary from fjord to fjord, and between concepts, but the typical bridge length is between 3 000 m and 5 000 m. With the exception of the tunnel bridge, evaluation of wind and wind power is an extremely important part of the design work. It is therefore necessary to carry out experiments in a wind tunnel.
Framework agreements with be signed with three tenderers in each sub-contract.