Today, a high-voltage cable runs across the fjord between Sotra and Drotningsvik in Bergen west. The high-voltage cable is located in the middle of the road of the new suspension bridge in Sotrasambandet, a giant project that will make traffic better for all road users, with a new four-lane road, public transport and pedestrian and cycle paths.
Start-up construction of Sotrasambandet is planned for autumn 2021, but work on relocating the high-voltage cable is already well underway. BKK Nett AS is responsible for the cable work.
"The new high-voltage cables will run through tunnels on both sides of the fjord and be laid on cable bridges under today's Sotra bridge. To connect the tunnels, the cable bridges and the Litlesotra substation, two high shafts have been built," says Bjørn Erik Ualand, head of the Infratructure Department at Nordic Steel.
The cable shafts are 28 and 18 metres high and to these Nordic Steel contributes with:
All equipment is manufactured by Nordic Steel at Bryne after entering into the contract with Bertelsen &Garpestad. Nordic Steel can produce all the necessary equipment needed to operate tunnels and roads. For Sotrasambandet, the delivery is developed and specially made by us, exactly according to the customer's demands.
"In the shafts we have made tenants and platforms with railings of several floors upwards, for easy access. The installers must have sufficient access and good working conditions to lay 4.5 kilometres of cables through the shafts, Ualand explains.
Sotrasambandet is a highly anticipated road connection between Bergen west and Sotra, in Vestland county. Today's road to Sotra is very vulnerable, with the bridge as the only access to important industry players, including Ågotnesbasen and Stureterminalen.
