List of tunnels of the Faroe Islands
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tunnels and bridges are an important part of the Faroese transportation network.[1]
Road tunnels
This list shows the Faroese tunnels, listed by age:[1][2]
| Tunnel | Year | Length m | ft | Connects | Island(s) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gamli Hvalbiartunnilin | 1963 | 1,450 | 4,760 | Hvalba and Trongisvágur | Suðuroy | Closed for traffic since 2021. |
| Gamli Árnafjarðartunnilin | 1965 | 1,680 | 5,510 | Ánir, Klaksvík and Árnafjørður | Borðoy | Closed for traffic since 2024. |
| Gamli Hvannasundstunnilin | 1967 | 2,120 | 6,960 | Árnafjørður and Hvannasund/Norðdepil | Borðoy | Closed for traffic since 2024 |
| Sandvíkartunnilin | 1969 | 1,500 | 4,900 | Sandvík and Hvalba | Suðuroy | Single lane with passing places, unlit. |
| Norðskálatunnilin | 1976 | 2,520 | 8,270 | Norðskáli and the valley of Millum Fjarða | Eysturoy | First two-lane tunnel. First road connection between Southern Eysturoy and Northern Eysturoy. Replaced the Hósvík-Selatrað ferry crossing. |
| Leynartunnilin | 1977 | 760 | 2,490 | Leynar and the valley of Kollafjarðardalur | Streymoy | Replaced an avalanche prone road. |
| Villingardalstunnilin | 1979 | 1,193 | 3,914 | The villages of Mikladalur and Húsar | Kalsoy | Southernmost of the five Kalsoy tunnels. |
| Ritudalstunnilin | 1980 | 683 | 2,241 | The villages of Mikladalur and Húsar | Kalsoy | One of the five Kalsoy tunnels. Single lane with passing places, unlit. |
| Mikladalstunnilin | 1980 | 1,082 | 3,550 | The villages of Mikladalur and Húsar | Kalsoy | One of the five Kalsoy tunnels. Single lane with passing places, unlit. |
| Trøllanestunnilin | 1985 | 2,248 | 7,375 | The villages of Trøllanes and Mikladalur | Kalsoy | Northernmost of the five Kalsoy tunnels. Single lane with passing places, unlit. Replaced a footpath, post boat service and helicopter service (1983-1985). |
| Teymur í Djúpadal | 1979–85 | 220 | 720 | The Trøllanestunnilin and the uninhabited valley of Djúpidalur | Kalsoy | One of the five Kalsoy tunnels. Effectively a branch of the Trøllanestunnilin to enable road access to pastures. Single lane, unlit. |
| Leirvíkartunnilin | 1985 | 2,238 | 7,343 | Leirvík and Gøta | Eysturoy | Replaced a cliffside road that now is a touristic route. |
| Kunoyartunnilin | 1988 | 3,031 | 9,944 | Kunoy and Haraldssund | Kunoy | Single lane with passing places, unlit. Replaced a ferry crossing. |
| Kollafjarðartunnilin | 1992 | 2,816 | 9,239 | Kollafjørður and Kaldbaksbotnur | Streymoy | Offers an alternative to the Oyrarvegurin mountain road, which is prone to icing and wind gusts in winter. |
| Sumbiartunnilin | 1997 | 3,240 | 10,630 | Sumba and Lopra | Suðuroy | Replaces a mountain pass that is now a tourist route. |
| Vágatunnilin | 2002 | 4,940 | 16,210 | Leynar and Fútaklett | Streymoy and Vágar | The first undersea tunnel. Replaced the Vestmanna-Vágar ferry. |
| Gásadalstunnilin | 2006 | 1,445 | 4,741 | Gásadalur and Bøur | Vágar | Single lane with passing places. Replaced the footpath and helicopter service. |
| Norðoyatunnilin | 2006 | 6,186 | 20,295 | Klaksvík and Leirvík | Eysturoy and Borðoy | Replaced the Leirvík-Klaksvík and Leirvík-Kalsoy-Klaksvík ferry. |
| Hovstunnilin | 2007 | 2,435 | 7,989 | Øravík and Hov | Suðuroy | Replaced the cliffside road that now is a touristic route. |
| Viðareiðistunnilin | 2016 | 1,939 | 6,362 | Viðareiði with Hvannasund | Viðoy | Replaced the coastal road, which is prone to landslides and avalanches, but remains open as a touristic route. |
| Eysturoyartunnilin | 2020 | 11,250 | 36,910 | Runavík and Strendur with Tórshavn | Streymoy and Eysturoy | Under Sundini and Skálafjørður. The tunnel has shortened the travel distance from Tórshavn to Runavík/Strendur from 55 kilometres to 17 kilometres. The 64-minute drive has been shortened to 17 minutes. The tunnel has the world's first under-sea roundabout at mid-bay.[3] |
| Nýggi Hvalbiartunnilin | 2021 | 2,524 | 8,281 | Hvalba and Trongisvágur | Suðuroy | Dual lane, lit. Replaces the Old Hvalbiartunnilin from 1963. |
| Sandoyartunnilin | 2023 | 10,785 | 35,384 | Traðardalur and Gamlarætt | Streymoy and Sandoy | The tunnel starts just above the port of Gamlarætt and ends Traðardalur between Skopun and Sandur. The tunnel opened on 21 December 2023.[4] |
| Nýggi Árnafjarðartunnilin | 2024 | 1,965 | 6,447 | Klaksvík, Ánir and Árnafjørður | Borðoy | First of the two new Tunlarnir norður um Fjall (also known as Borðoyartunlarnir). Construction commenced in February 2021, the drilling itself started in November 2021.[5][6] Drilling finished on 8 November 2022.[7] |
| Nýggi Hvannasundstunnilin | 2024 | 2,246 | 7,369 | Árnafjørður and Norðdepil | Borðoy | Second of the two new Tunlarnir norður um Fjall (also known as Borðoyartunlarnir). Construction started in November 2021[8][9][6] Drilling finished on 16 November 2022.[10] |
| Fámjinstunnilin | 2025 | 1,200 | 3,900 | Øravík with Fámjin | Suðuroy | Road access to Fámjin has been prone to fierce winds and icing. Construction of access roads commenced 25 July 2022 while drilling started on 16 November 2022.[11] The tunnel opened on 25 June 2025.[12] |
| Húsareynstunnilin | 2025 | 1,705 | 5,594 | Within Tórshavn, between Marknagil and Villingardal (near Hoyvík). | Streymoy | Part of the Havnarvegur bypass between Tórshavn (near Hotel Føroyar), Hoyvík and Hvítanes, opened on 6 July 2025[13][14][15][16] |
| Total (including closed tunnels) | 75,401 | 247,379 | 9 islands | 4 sub-sea tunnels in operation, 20 on-island tunnels in operation, and 3 on-island tunnels closed for traffic. | ||
Bridges and causeways
This list shows the longest Faroese bridges and causeways, listed by age:
| Bridge | Year | Length m | ft | Connects | Island(s) | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brúgvin um Streymin | 1973 | 220 | 720 | Oyrarbakki/Norðskáli and Nesvík | Streymoy and Eysturoy | Concrete bridge. Replaced the ferry crossing from Nesvík to Oyrarbakki. |
| Byrging um Hvannasund | 1975 | 220 | 720 | Hvannasund and Norðdepil | Borðoy and Viðoy | Causeway. Replaced post and milk boat services. |
| Byrging um Haraldssund | 1986 | 350 | 1,150 | Haraldssund and Strond | Borðoy and Kunoy | Causeway. Replaced post and milk boat services.
 |
| Brúgvin um Sandá | 2016 | 140 | 460 | Argir and Tórshavn | Streymoy | The second longest bridge in the country.[17] |
Tunnels under construction
| Tunnel | Year | Approx. length m | ft | Connects | Island | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dalstunnilin | Started in 2020, planned to be completed in 2026 | 2,165 | 7,103 | Dalur with Húsavík | Sandoy | To replace the narrow cliffside road. Drilling commenced 5 November 2020.[18][19] On 17 November 2022 the halfway mark was passed.[20] The tunnel is expected to be completed in 2026.[21] |
Tunnels closed for traffic
| Tunnel | Year of opening | Year of closure | Length m | ft | Connects | Island | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gamli Hvalbiartunnilin | 1963 | 2021 | 1,450 | 4,760 | Hvalba and Trongisvágur | Suðuroy | First tunnel in the country and also the first to be replaced by a new tunnel. |
| Gamli Árnafjarðartunnilin | 1965 | 2024 | 1,680 | 5,510 | Ánir, Klaksvík and Árnafjørður | Borðoy | First of the two original Tunlarnir norður um Fjall (also known as Borðoyartunlarnir). Single lane with passing places, unlit. |
| Gamli Hvannasundstunnilin | 1967 | 2024 | 2,120 | 6,960 | Árnafjørður and Hvannasund/Norðdepil | Borðoy | Second of the two original Tunlarnir norður um Fjall (also known as Borðoyartunlarnir). Single lane with passing places, unlit. |
| Total closed | 5,250 | 17,220 | |||||
In addition, there are custom-built tunnels in Fuglafjørður used as storage space for local fishing companies. All are cul-de-sacs and closed to the public. The newest tunnels open in 2025 and measure 899 and 985 meters in length.[22]
Planned and proposed tunnels
| Tunnel | Year | Approx. length m | ft | Connects | Island(s) | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suðuroyartunnilin | 2036+ | 24,297 or 28,145 | 79,715 or 92,339 | Sandur orSkarvanes and Sandvík | Sandoy and Suðuroy | The suggested route consists of a single long tube between Djúpadalur and Sandvík, with a branch to Skúvoy (1550 metres, included in the total length). The project would take 10.1 years to construct, excluding upgrades of access roads on Sandoy and a new Sandvíkartunnilin, which will be part of the overall project.[23][24][25] Alternative routes are still being discussed. |
| Tjørnuvíkartunnilin | unknown | 2,300 | 7,500 | Tjørnuvík with Haldórsvík | Streymoy | To replace the narrow cliffside road.[26] The route will be finalised in 2025 and construction would start in 2026.[27][28] |
| Vestmannatunnilin | unknown | 4,200 or 6,200 | 13,800 or 20,300 | Kvívík and Vestmanna | Streymoy | To replace the cliffside road, prone to icing, rockslides and windgusts. The tunnel would be combined with a tunnel for powerlines from Vestmanna's hydropower station, and would start tunnelling after the Tjørnuvíkartunnilin is complete.[29] The estimated costs are between 600 and 900 million DKK.[30] |
| Gøtudalstunnilin | unknown | 0 | 0 | Skálafjørður or and Norðragøta | Eysturoy | To offer an alternative to the Gøtueiði mountain pass in between Søldarfjørður and Syðrugøta, which is prone to icing and windgusts.[31] The original plans stated construction between 2022 and 2025, but in 2025 it was announced that detailed plans will start soon, without a precise date.[32] |
| Tunnilin á Vagum | unknown | 0 | 0 | Vágatunnilin and Vatnsoyrar | Vágar | A bypass for through-traffic between Sørvágur, the airport and Streymoy, bypassing Mið- and Sandavágur. Construction planned 2027 or later.[33] |
| Gjáartunnilin | unknown | 0 | 0 | Gjógv with Funningur | Eysturoy | To replace the narrow mountain pass, prone to icing in winter.[34] |
Operators
Public works authority Landsverk operates the national road network, excluding the four sub-sea toll tunnels. These tunnels are each operated by its own state-owned limited company, but the four companies are brought together under a single brand and organisation, Tunnil p/F. This company administers the tolls, which charged are via number plate recognition and collected at petrol stations or car rental companies upon return of the car. Reduced fares are available for vehicles with a subscription (in Faroese: hald). A 2022 poll suggested continued support for toll charges.[35]
Tórshavn Municipality owns and operates the Sandá Bridge[36] and Húsareynstunnilin, which is formally a municipal road, though functionally part of the national highway network.[37]