Suðuroyartunnilin

At present a ferry service operates between Krambatangi on central Suðuroy and the capital Tórshavn. The ferry is operated by the national transport company Strandfaraskip Landsins and uses the vessel Smyril, taking two hours each way. In 2019, on average 1,000 passengers (including the drivers) and 290 vehicles embarked on the ferry per day.[2] The frequency is either twice or three times per day, though the service is frequently cancelled due to adverse weather and heavy seas, since the Suðuroyarfjørður strait acts as a funnel for winds, swell and tides. This also precludes the viability of a shorter ferry route between Sandoy and Suðuroy.

In addition, there is a daily passenger ferry between Sandur and Skúvoy, up to five per day, of which most trips need to be reserved in advance.[3] The island is also served by the thrice-weekly helicopter service between Tórshavn and Stóra Dímun. This helicopter connects twice-weekly onwards to Suðuroy, forming the only scheduled link between Suðuroy and any other of the southern islands.

On Sandoy, the Sandoyartunnilin will connect the southern islands to Tórshavn and the rest of the country when it opens in 2023. It will replace the ferry service between Skopun and Gamlarætt.[4]

The calls for a fixed link to Suðuroy emerged after the success of the two earliest sub-sea tunnels in the Faroe Islands, the Vágatunnilin and Norðoyatunnilin in 2002 and 2006 respectively. The idea was further popularised with the construction of the Eysturoyartunnilin (opened in December 2020) and Sandoyartunnilin (under construction and to be completed in 2023).[5][4]

Rather than a single tunnel between Suðuroy and Sandoy, public works authority Landsverk proposes to divide the link into two sections, coming to the surface at Skúvoy. Landsverk's preferred scenario is:[6][7]

The total length of the first two sections is 24.5 kilometres. It would cost 3.4 billion Danish krones[6][7] and be completed in 2030.[9] [10] A scenario without a stop at Skúvoy would be slightly cheaper, but would require the continuation of the existing ferry and helicopter services. Cutting the tunnels into multiple sections has the additional advantage that the two shorter sections can do without emergency tubes parallel to the car tunnel. Between 2018 and 2019, several samples were drilled to study the bedrock geology. In 2020, 5 million Danish kroners have been used on seismic analysis, test drills and a financial viability study.[11] Doubts exist concerning the financial viability of the project.[12] It is forecasted that in 2030, a total number of 1600 motor vehicles per day would use the tunnel, or 800 per direction.[13]

In preparation for the Suðuroyartunnil, Landsverk has constructed a new Hvalbiartunnil between Trongisvágur and Hvalba. This tunnel replaces the old tunnel from 1963. However, as Suðuroyartunnilin will surface from Sandvík, also the Sandvíkartunnilin from 1969 needs to be either broadened or replaced in order to allow the expected traffic numbers and modern vehicle sizes.

• List of tunnels of the Faroe Islands