Mayors calling for tunnel access road plan

Construction of access roads to and from the Eysturoy-Tórshavn subsea tunnel are not part of the tunnel project, and that will cause problems once the tunnel opens.

So says Torbjørn Jacobsen, mayor of Runavík Municipality, in response to Tórshavn mayor Annika Olsen’s plea to Parliament to change the tunnel law so that access road construction becomes part of the total tunnel project.

Mayor Olsen last week suggested that Parliament is not prioritising tunnel access roads in its planning. She argues that the easiest way to finance the access road work is to include it in the general tunnel project, administered by ‘Tunnilsfelagið’, which as a public joint stock company is not included in the national budget.

Torbjørn Jacobsen says there will be traffic chaos once the tunnel opens if the state does not immediately come up with financing for the access roads. He is, however, hopeful that an agreement can be reached after the Prime Minister took over the transport portfolio following the resignation of transport minister Henrik Old earlier this month.

Runavík City Council recommends building an access road that goes through the harbour, rather than adding more traffic to the busy city centre.

See also:

Tórshavn’s tunnel access road facing major delays

Work starting on subsea tunnel entrance

Translated by prosa.fo