The Marieholm Tunnel boosts passability significantly

16.12.2020

On 16 December, the new connection across the river in Gothenburg, the Marieholm Tunnel, opened for traffic. Thomas Darholm, Technical Director in COWI's Bridge department in Gothenburg, has been involved since the project kicked off ten years ago, in close cooperation with the Swedish Transport Administration.

The Marieholm Tunnel is part of the West Sweden infrastructure package and will improve access to the Port of Gothenburg, the Norra Älvstranden district and industries in the western part of Hisingen Island. Just shy of 500 metres, the tunnel was designed as an immersed tunnel.

“The project team included Swedish COWI consultants with local knowledge who know how to work with the difficult Gothenburg clay. We also relied on international experts in COWI, who is a global leader in tunnels. Immersed tunnel engineering is complex and few people in the world master this type of tunnel,” says Thomas Darholm.

Ten years ago, the Swedish Transport Administration kicked off the project, which will have an immense impact in terms of improving passability on Gothenburg roads. The new tunnel will relieve the Tingstad Tunnel of around 50,000 vehicles a day – in turn dramatically improving its passability.

“When you’ve worked so hard for so long on a project like this one, you feel a certain void when it is over. But when you look at the outcome, you can’t help but feel proud of what we achieved together,” says Thomas Darholm.