Skúvoy excluded from Suðuroy Tunnel project amid public consultation in the Faroe Islands

Skúvoy will not be connected to the Suðuroy Tunnel, as confirmed in the recently released proposal for legislation regarding the tunnel, which is now available for public consultation. The proposal clearly states that “there is an agreement that Skúvoy will not be linked to the Suðuroy Tunnel at this time.”

However, provisions have been made for a possible future connection of Skúvoy to the tunnel. The accompanying document discussing funding details notes that the Suðuroy Tunnel Company has kept the option of connecting Skúvoy to the tunnel “open.”

This indicates that the decision to exclude Skúvoy from the immediate development of the tunnel is a political one.

On February 20, residents of Skúvoy gathered in Tinganes to advocate for the island’s inclusion in the Suðuroy Tunnel project.

The estimated cost for connecting Skúvoy to the tunnel ranges between 200 to 400 million Danish kroner, depending on the chosen alignment. According to the proposal, the shortest alignment is estimated to cost around 200 million kroner, which would result in a steep incline of 12.5 percent on the road leading to the island—significantly higher than other tunnels.

Concerns have also been raised regarding the capacity to handle traffic to Skúvoy, as it remains uncertain how much traffic the island can accommodate.

Current estimates for the overall cost of the Suðuroy Tunnel are around four billion kroner in 2024 prices, but this figure does not include the connection to Skúvoy.

Skúvoy Municipality is the smallest in the country, with the latest statistics indicating a population of 36, including 32 residents in Skúvoy and four in Stóra Dímun.