The PPP project Rv. 555 Sotrasambandet was supposed to open on June 1, 2027 but work on the bridge towers for the New Sotra Bridge has taken longer than planned, and the national road may not open until the fourth quarter of 2027 at the earliest.
Sotra Link Construction – a consortium of Webuild, FCC Construcción, and SK ecoplant – says it has implemented measures to address the delay, but the project will not meet the planned opening date. It adds that the opening date depends on the acceleration measures and that no further challenges arise.
“We know that many have been looking forward to the opening in June 2027 and we regret the delay,” said project manager Lene Sælen Rivenes.
The consortium says the delay is related to the Drotningsvik area where challenging ground conditions have required the removal of more rock than planned.
Casting of the bridge piers was finished on December 3 and work on the cables will begin next month.
Sotra Link Construction has also announced it will begin work on the tunnel portal on the north side of the new Straume Tunnel today. The work, which will take about 40-45 days, will include blasting and piling.
The Sotra Link is the Norwegian Public Roads Administration’s largest single contract. It involves the construction of a 9.4km four-lane road from Bergen to Kolltveit in Øygarden municipality and includes 12.5km of tunnels and a 900m-long suspension bridge.
