This incredible tunnel, which opened in April last year, is a milestone on Norway’s path towards a more environmentally friendly and sustainable city.
This 3,000-metre purpose-built pedestrian and cycle tunnel is the longest of its kind, stretching from the city centre of Bergen to Fyllingsdalen. It takes approximately 25-minutes to cycle.
It has been described as the crowning jewel of the city’s new 4.9-mile cycling path that runs from the south into the city centre. It runs through the Lovstakken mountain and runs parallel to the new light rail line that opened in November 2022.
The opening weekend included a bicycle parade as well as several family-oriented running and bike races for all ages, with many dressing up in fancy dress for the occasion.
The tunnel has two separate areas, one for cycling and then an elevated blue rubberized cement section for pedestrians. To make the journey more exciting, the tunnel is home to artwork, creative lighting, benches and even a sundial at the centrepoint of the route. Upon cycling through, the tunnel changes rainbow colours every few hundred metres.
The sundial, also in rainbow colours, looks like a heart when approaching from the east and a spiral from the west.
“The art in the middle of the tunnel is my favourite part,” said Ingrid Fjeldstad, Bergen’s commissioner for climate, environment, and urban development. “It makes the tunnel feel like an adventure, and it keeps bike trips from being boring.”
Prior to the tunnel’s construction, those biking between Fyllingsdalen and the city centre would have to either climb over Løvstakken – the “stack of leaves” – a 477-metre mountain to the east of the Fyllingsdalen borough, or cycle around it on a busy road, neither of which were particularly appealing to citizens.
The new tunnel saves 15 minutes on the 40 minute trek and provides shelter from frequent rain storms which the region battles.
The tunnel marks another milestone in Bergen’s move towards a more cycle-friendly city, becoming more environmentally friendly and sustainable. Indeed, in 2022, it was ranked first in the environmental category on The Global Destination Sustainability Index, and fifth in 2024. The city is certainly taking the lead on sustainable development.
According to press information, the aim of the project is to “create new and attractive alternatives to car transport, on public transport, walking and cycling, so that car traffic does not increase.”
The regional Green Pledge seeks to eliminate future growth in car traffic through measures like improved transit service, congestion tolling and sidewalk expansions. Bergen, however, goes even further, targeting a 30% traffic reduction. More than four in five new cars sold in Norway are now fully electric, the highest share in the world.
Bergen has projected that 2,600 cyclists will be using the tunnel daily by 2040, according to Einar Grieg, the city’s cycling coordinator. In September 2023, the tunnel was attracting 650 cyclists a day and half as many pedestrians as joggers, the latter of which caught officials by surprise.
“We didn’t expect so many people walking and running,” Grieg told Bloomberg. “Many seem to be using the tunnel for recreation or exercise. Sometimes senior citizens meet there and go for strolls.”
However, there are still areas requiring development. No similar route exists for those cycling into the city from the north, and bike lanes within the city centre are not up to standard. “It’s ridiculous that the new bike path from Fyllingsdalen stops at city center instead of going through it,” said Eivind Kvamm-Lichtenfeld to Bloomberg, a Bergen resident who used the tunnel regularly. “Many people won’t bike if they don’t know how to reach their final destination.”
The city has promised to upgrade its network, building more bike lanes with a goal of nearly tripling cycling’s mode share to 10% by 2030.
