Hardanger Bridge

The Hardanger Bridge (Hardangerbrua) is a suspension bridge across the Eidfjorden branch off of the main Hardangerfjorden in Vestland county, Norway. The bridge connects the municipalities of Ullensvang and Ulvik. It replaced a ferry connection between Bruravik and Brimnes, and thereby shortens the driving time between Oslo and Bergen. It is the longest suspension bridge in Norway.

Construction
The bridge was approved for building by the Norwegian Parliament on February 28, 2006, and construction began on February 26, 2009. While the bridge was engineered by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, the construction was done by MT Højgaard. The project had a budget of NOK2.3 billion (€290 million) and more than half of this will be paid by toll and saved ferry subsidies. The Administration is considering a different route over a future bridge as the main connection between East and West.

The bridge is 1380 m long, with a main span of 1310 m. The maximum deck height is 55 m and the towers reach 200 m above sea level. There are two driving lanes for cars with an 80 km/h speed limit, and a separate lane for pedestrians and cyclists. The deck height means that the largest cruise ships cannot reach the inner Hardangerfjord any more.

The traffic predicted for the bridge was estimated to be 2000 vehicles per day. The opening of the bridge took place on 17 August 2013.

The main span is one of the longest suspension bridge spans in the world. It is also the longest tunnel to tunnel suspension bridge in the world. On the south end of the bridge, cars immediately enter the 1.2 km Bu Tunnel that goes under the village of Bu, while on the north side of the bridge, cars immediately enter the 7.5 km Vallavik Tunnel which includes a 500 m long segment to a roundabout inside the tunnel. At the roundabout, cars can take another 500 m long tunnel that leads to Ulvik or they can take a 7 km long tunnel to Granvin.