This tunnel is famous for its beautiful lighting and top air quality.
The blue-lit roundabout inside the 7.5 km Laerdal Tunnel(Image: Getty)
Norway has no shortage of beautiful roads. From snow capped mountains to glacial passes, a road trip through this gorgeous country means you will never be bored. It’s not just open road though – Norway is also home to one of the most beautiful tunnels in the world.
The Lærdal tunnel in West Norway is the longest road tunnel in the world, stretching 24.5 kilometres (15 miles) beneath a mountain range. It connects Aurland and Lærdal, in the heart of Sogn, and provides a ferry-free connection between Oslo and Bergen.
Construction of the tunnel began in 1995 and finished in 2000 and during construction an incredible 2,500,000 cubic meters of rock were extracted from the tunnel.
It cost a whopping £75million to construct. The tunnel is divided into four sections separated by three large caves.
The tunnel is known as one of the most beautiful in the world due to the way it has been designed to prevent driver fatigue and claustrophobia.
The main section of the tunnel is brightly lit with white lights, but each cave is lit with blue and yellow lighting around the edges to create the illusion of a sunrise.
These caves were lit with the idea of breaking up the monotony of the tunnel and allow drivers a short break.
The caves also work as turnaround points during the 20-minute journey.
There is also a rumble strip in each lane which stops drivers becoming inattentive and drifting.
At every kilometre, a sign lets you know how far you have travelled through the cave and how much further you have to go.
One of the other impressive things about the Lærdal Tunnel is that it is the first in the world to be equipped with an air treatment plant.
This plant can be found in a cavern 100 metres wide and it removes both dust and nitrogen dioxide from the tunnel air.