Last week saw the opening of Hålogaland bridge in Narvik, Norway, the longest suspension bridge within the Arctic Circle. The construction has been coated with Jotun Protective solutions.
Hålogaland bridge has been dubbed ‘the most beautiful bridge in the world’ by both locals and visiting engineers alike. Spanning 1533m across the Romsbak Fjord, it cost $418 million and took five years to build. Constructed from 30 separate sections, with 7000 tons of bridge deck, the project is a vital infrastructure development within the far North of Norway, cutting the distance between the regional centers of Narvik and Bjerkvik by 18km.
As Hege Karset Bjorgum, Global Concept Director Infrastructure, Jotun, explains, it is an important national undertaking, with an international flavor.
“Hålogaland bridge carries the main national North-South roadway, the E6, over the 300m deep fjord waters, providing a direct connection that is central to regional development,” Karset Bjorgum states. “It is fundamentally important to the local populace, but also to Norway itself and, as such, demanded the highest standards of construction and protection.
“Working in close collaboration with China Railway Shanhaiguan Bridge Group, Jotun delivered and applied its protective coatings to all 30 sections, over a 10 month period. Its unique Jotamastic steel coating will enable this landmark project to endure the very harshest natural environments, linking communities, improving communications, and delivering lasting benefits for the local economies.”
With two elegant A-shaped superstructure towers, rising 179m above the water, and a central suspended deck spanning 1145m, Hålogaland bridge has been compared to San Francisco’s Golden Gate bridge. More than 900 workers were involved during the five-year build period.
