Norway has express thanks to China and officially opened the longest suspension bridge above the Arctic Circle on 15th December 2019. The 1.5 kilometer span was built in cooperation with a Chinese company. Chinese workers, locals and officials took part in the opening ceremony of the new Norwegian super bridge, dubbed Hålogaland, near the northern port city of Narvik. With pylons soaring 180 feet into the clouds, the bridge crosses the Rombaken fjord and boasts a free span of 1,145 meters. With a length of 1,533 meters, it is the longest suspension bridge ever built above the Arctic Circle.
“It’s been great to see Chinese participation in this project,” Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg told reporters at the inauguration ceremony. She added that the “beautiful bridge” is very important for the local community and infrastructure.
With cooperation and built with assistance of China’s Sichuan Road and Bridge Group (SRBG), it provides a significant shortcut on the European route E6 highway – the main north-south road through Norway and the west coast of Sweden. The Chinese firm delivered the steel constructions and was responsible for the mounting of the bridge, which took more than five years to build.
The project includes the construction of two short tunnels, the Ornestunnelen and Storlikolltunnelen, as well as the construction of two new roads on both sides of the Hålogaland Bridge. It will shorten the driving distance between Narvik to Bjerkvik by 18 km and between Narvik to Bjørnfjell by 5 km.
The 1.5 km Halogaland Bridge will be the second longest suspension bridge in Norway.
