The last 40 meters of the Hédinsfjardargöng tunnel between Ólafsfjördur and Siglufjördur in north Iceland was blasted open on Thursday. The project has been delayed by six months and the tunnel is now scheduled to open in June 2010.
From Siglufjördur. Photo by Páll Stefánsson.
Minister of Transport Kristján Möller was present during the final explosion and the first vehicle drove through the tunnel in the afternoon. The project has been undertaken by Háfell ehf. in cooperation with Czech company Metrostav, Fréttabladid reports.
The tunnel shortens the distance between Siglufjördur and Ólafsfjördur to 15 kilometers from the 62-kilometer road across Lágheidi mountain pass (which is closed in winter) and from the 234-kilometer road across Öxnadalsheidi mountain pass.
The cost was estimated ISK 7 billion (USD 57 million, EUR 42 million) in May 2006.
Click here to watch pictures from the event on the official website of Siglufjördur.
