Drammen Spiral

The Drammen Spiral (Norwegian : Spiralen Drammen) is a tunnel near Drammen, Norway.[1]

Drammen Spiral
Entrance to the spiral
Operation
Opened1961
Technical
Length1650m

Tunnel characteristics

The tunnel is 1,650 metres (5,410 ft) long and in the shape of a helix, with six rising circles, in the same style as a multi-storey parking lot.[1] Each rotation of the helix rises 73 feet (22 m), with a diameter of 230 feet (70 m).[2] The tunnel emerges at a summit 600 feet (180 m) above the town on Skansen Ridge,[3] where there are parking facilities and a cafe.

Tunnel usage

From the summit, tourists can walk in the Drammensmarka, the forest area surrounding Drammen.[1] There is a road toll levied for use of the tunnel, which for cars as of 2020 was NOK 35, paid as a parking fee at the top.[4][5] The maximum height for vehicles is 3.65 metres (12.0 ft).[6] Pedestrians may not use the tunnel: instead there is a gravelled zigzag track up the hillside with seats and viewpoints.[7]

History

The 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.[2] Construction started in 1953 upon closure of the quarries.[5] Rock excavated for the tunnel was crushed and used to make a harbour embankment in the city, while stone was used in concrete.[8] The tunnel was opened for traffic in 1961 by King Olav V.[6]

In 2020, the tunnel went through extensive renovation and was partly closed. It was officially reopened on Dec 12 2020.[9]

See also

References
  1. Roddis, Miles; Lundgren, Kari (2008). Norway. Lonely Planet. p. 118. ISBN 978-1-741-04579-6.
  2. "Corkscrew tunnel gives driving new twist". Popular Scientist: 62. August 1967. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  3. Scandinavia '97: The Complete Guide to Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Fodor's Travel Publications. 1996. p. 318. ISBN 978-0-679-03281-6.
  4. "Veiavgift til Spiralen". Drammen Kommune (in Norwegian). Drammen Council. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  5. Porter, Darin; Prince, Danforth (2005). Frommer's Norway. John Wiley & Sons. p. 166. ISBN 978-0-764-59810-4.
  6. "Spiralen". visitnorway.com. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  7. "RUNDT SPIRALEN FRA BRAGERNES TORG" (in Norwegian). Den Norske Turistforening. 1 June 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  8. Causes, Impacts and Solutions to Global Warming. Springer Science & Business Media. 2013. p. 349. ISBN 978-1-461-47588-0.
  9. https://www.drammen.kommune.no/om-kommunen/aktuelt/spiralen-offisielt-apnet/

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