Preparations underway for tunnel to Fámjin

The transport minister has given the go-ahead to Landsverk, the Faroese Road and Tunnel Authority, to start work on the tunnel to Fámjin in Suðuroy.

The political debate on whether work on the Fámjin tunnel should be prioritised over work on the tunnel to Dalur, Sandoy is still ongoing, but Landsverk says it will follow the advice of the transport minister until further notice.

Landsverk has requested permission from the local preservation authorities to start the project. According to the head of the preservation committee, the decision will be made next week.

This decision will be followed by a four-week time-limit for appeals, and then the final decision will lie with the Yvirfriðingarnevndin (the Faroese equivalent to the National Trust in the UK).

The Yvirfriðingarnevndin will meet on 20 August when a final ruling can be made regarding the local preservation committee’s decision, provided that no complaints have been lodged during the appeals period.

If the Yvirfriðingarnevndin does not reach a final ruling at the August meeting, it is expected to come in late September.

Also: Who is responsible for road network development?

This means that Landsverk may be permitted to start construction of the Fámjin tunnel as early as September/October.

Landsverk recently purchased drilling equipment for DKK 5 million to be used for the construction of small tunnels.

Henrik Old, the Minister of Transport, has ordered the construction of the Fámjin tunnel ahead of the Dalur tunnel because he says the Fámjin tunnel would take less time to complete. Ruth Vang, the chairwoman of the Finance Committee, disagrees saying that the government agreed to give priority to the Dalur tunnel.

See also: Tunnel work priorities not finalized

Translated by prosa.fo