Vestmanna tunnel could cost up to one billion kroner

A new tunnel route to Vestmanna could cost between just over 500 million and one billion kroner, according to figures disclosed by KVF.

Jacob Vestergaard, the minister responsible for tunnel affairs, said Landsverk had examined two possible routes: a 4.2-kilometre tunnel from Kvívík to Vestmanna and a 6.2-kilometre tunnel from Leynar to Vestmanna.

The shorter tunnel is estimated to cost 550 million kroner, rising to 715 million kroner with a 30 per cent contingency. The longer route is estimated at 800 million kroner, or about one billion kroner including the contingency.

The figures were included in Vestergaard’s response to questions from parliament member Grímur Sundstein. Sundstein asked when the tunnel was expected to be ready for design work, whether the government planned to submit a construction bill during the current parliamentary session and whether the project would receive a high priority in the next long-term plan.

Vestergaard said the aim was to complete all preparations in 2027 so the project would be ready to put out to tender when funding became available.

He said the annual investment framework would be about 600 million kroner in the coming years, making it difficult to prioritise projects because needs were high in transport and most other policy areas.