Drammen Spiral

Historie

The Drammen Spiral is a tunnel near Drammen, Norway.Tunnel characteristicsThe tunnel is 1650m long and in the shape of a helix, with six rising circles, in the same style as a multi-storey parking lot. Each rotation of the helix rises 73ft, covering a diameter of 230ft. The tunnel emerges at a summit 600ft above the town on Skansen Ridge, where there are parking facilities and a cafe.Tunnel usageFrom the summit, tourists can walk in the Drammensmarka, the forest area surrounding Drammen. There is a road toll levied for use of the tunnel, which for cars as of 2015 was NOK 35 in each direction. As well as access for cars, the local bus (No. 41) makes three trips a day to the summit. The maximum height for vehicles is 3.65m. Pedestrians may not use the tunnel, instead there is a gravelled zigzag track up the hillside with seats and viewpoints.HistoryThe tunnel was proposed after concern was raised that quarrying was beginning to disfigure the local landscape.The community decided to tunnel for stone as an alternative, creating a tourist attraction as a by-product. Construction started in 1953 upon closure of the quarries. Rock excavated for the tunnel was crushed and used to make a harbour embankment in the city, while stone was used in concrete. The tunnel was opened for traffic in 1961 by King Olav V.