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49-609: The background for the Triangle Link was the desire to have a fixed link between the islands of Stord and Bømlo . The first documented proposals were made in the 1960s and involved building a pontoon bridge across Stokksundet . Following the 1982 opening of the Vardø Tunnel —the first subsea tunnel in Norway —Engineer Finn Nitter d.e. proposed a fixed link between the two islands. It would have crossed Digernessundet on

98-573: A suspension bridge and continued along a causeway and low bridge onwards to a 2.2-kilometer-long (1.4 mi) subsea tunnel under Spissøysundet and a low bridge over Gassasundet. In addition, a 7.5-kilometer (4.7 mi) long tunnel would have been built from Føyno to Ulveråker in Sveio. The company Johannes Sørlie launched an all-tunnel proposal in 1985, estimated to cost 700 million Norwegian krone (NOK) and which would have resulted in 18 kilometers (11 mi) of subsea tunnel connecting Bømlo, Stord and

147-565: A ferry service for such people. The Triangle Link was passed by the various municipal councils in February and March 1988. Hordaland Public Roads Administration still supported a pontoon bridge, and stated that two and a half years of work on a master plan had been wasted. A new master plan for the Triangle Link was published in early 1989. It recommended that the Langevåg–Buavåg Ferry , which connected to southern Bømlo, remain, but that

196-586: A government is appointed Prime Minister . The fact that the original wording of the Constitution has not been modified to reflect contemporary practice, is a testimony to the widespread conservative sentiments shared across the political aisle that extensive constitutional revision should be avoided. In practice, this means that the function, authority and mandate of the Council of State is heavily influenced by long-standing conventions. The Council of State

245-613: A political party enjoying electoral support, is the de facto head of government . Accordingly, when Article 3 of the Constitution reads, "The Executive Power is vested in the King ", this nowadays reflects the powers conferred on the elected government, operating through the Council of State and headed by the Prime Minister . The parliamentary system of Norway entails that the Cabinet must not have Parliament against it, and that

294-431: A pontoon bridge, as it would interfere with ship traffic. On 26 June 1987, SBT's board decided to work towards getting permission to collect advance tolls on the ferry services. On 16 September, they unanimously supported the triangular proposal, which was estimated to cost NOK 660 million. This was criticized by Hordaland Public Roads Administration, who stated that it would take a longer time to plan, and thus complete,

343-476: Is 11 meters (36 ft) wide and has three lanes. As the tunnel has a significant slope, two lanes runs uphill and one runs downhill. It has a height of 4.7 meters (15 ft) and has its deepest point at 260.4 meters (854 ft) below mean sea level. Safety measures include fire extinguishers, emergency telephones and break-down pullovers every 250 meters (820 ft). There are turning points for trucks every 1,500 meters (4,900 ft) and lights and barriers at

392-555: Is a formal body composed of the most senior government ministers chosen by the Prime Minister , and functions as the collective decision-making organ constituting the executive branch of the Kingdom . The council simultaneously plays the role of privy council as well as government Cabinet . With the exception of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs , who retain their ministerial ranking in their own right, all

441-498: Is also a rich collection of models made by sculptor Torleiv Agdestein from Stord. The Stord Maritime Museum in Leirvik has a rich collection also. Litlabø is the site of a mining museum that shows many interesting remains of the last 100 years of mining. Leirvik also has a great recreational center with a 25-metre (82 ft) long swimming pool. Council of State (Norway) The Council of State ( Norwegian : Statsrådet )

490-473: Is established by the following article of the Constitution , stating that The King himself chooses a Council from among Norwegian citizens who are entitled to vote. This Council shall consist of a Prime Minister and at least seven other Members. The King apportions the business among the Members of the Council of State as he deems appropriate. Under extraordinary circumstances, besides the ordinary Members of

539-466: Is not a requirement. However, since the introduction of parliamentarism in 1884, all members of the Cabinet must have the express support of the legislature. In addition, they must hold Norwegian citizenship and be eligible to vote, meaning that they have attained the age of 18. Until a 2012 amendment, there was a requirement that a majority of the members had to be affiliated with the Church of Norway ,

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588-482: Is some amount of gabbro . At the lowest point, the tunnel runs through a section of phyllite , which continues to be the dominant species until the tunnel reaches Otterøya . Below the island the tunnel reaches a section of greenstone , before it rises again through more phyllite. Stord (island) Stord is an island in Vestland county, Norway . Located in the traditional district of Sunnhordland ,

637-689: The Bronze Age . Fitjar mentioned in many of the historical sagas. Harald I had a royal residence at Fitjar, and it was there Håkon the Good was mortally wounded in the Battle of Fitjar against the sons of Eirik (961). The current coat of arms of Fitjar shows a battle helmet reminiscent of the Battle of Fitjar. During World War II, Stord Island was the location of a British-led commando raid known as " Operation Cartoon ". The main industries found on

686-484: The Constitution , certain cases, such as appointments and dismissals of higher office, pardons, provisional measures, church ordinances and ratifications of treaties must be administered by the Council of State. Whilst not prescribed in the Constitution, the signing of bills and other regulations into law is the most important feature of the work being conducted during sessions of the Council of State. Article 30 of

735-450: The King , in keeping with Article 5 of the Constitution , which states that, "The King's person is sacred; he cannot be censured or accused. The responsibility rests with his Council". Another feature of this system is that the King, when having sanctioned a decision, is referred to as King-in-Council ( Norwegian : Kongen i statsråd ), meaning the King as well as his council. According to

784-543: The Norwegian Constitution states that any member of the Council of State, if he or she is of the opinion that the "King's decision conflicts with the form of government or the laws of the Realm" is bound by a "duty to make strong remonstrances against it, as well as to enter his opinion in the records." The Article continues by stating that a Member who has not voiced such objections is liable of impeachment by

833-529: The Stone Age . At that time, the sea was 10–15 metres (33–49 ft) higher than today, which means that it went into the present lake Storavatnet and far up Fitjar river. The mild climate of the last ice age meant that much of the area was covered by forest, most probably oak , ash , and lime/linden . The area was rich with wildlife, deer, and wild boar. Archaeologists say there have been people in Fitjar for

882-455: The Storting should a decision made in the Council of State later be found unlawful. For the same reason, the aforesaid Article prescribes that all of the decisions made in the Council of State shall be put down in official records. Whilst most members of the Cabinet originate from within the Storting and will have their seats deputised during their time in office, being Member of Parliament

931-485: The 1500s. Beyond the lowlands, along a line from Sagvåg in the southwest to Jektevik in the northeast, rises a mountainous ridge with peaks of over 700 metres (2,300 ft). The highest of which is the 749-metre (2,457 ft) tall mountain Mehammarsåto furthest to the north. In this mountainous area, the rock varies from basalt lava , gabbro , and granite . The area around Fitjar has been settled since

980-504: The Council of State, the King may summon other Norwegian citizens, although no Members of the Storting, to take a seat in the Council of State. Husband and wife, parent and child or two siblings may never sit at the same time in the Council of State. The Council of State convenes to formally make decisions on matters of State, passing so-called Royal Resolutions ( Norwegian : Kongelige resolusjoner ) or Orders in Council . Theoretically,

1029-592: The Halsnøy Basement Rock on the Sveio side, and Hardangerfjord Cover Complex on the Stord side. Both were created during the creation of the Caledonian orogeny 500 million years ago. The Halsnøy Basement Rock consists of Precambrian rock with elements of gneiss of both sedimentary and magmatic origin. They range between granite gneiss to mylonite . In the area between the two complexes, there

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1078-496: The Public Roads Administration recommended a bridge. A report published by SBT in 1987 considered detailed plans for a subsea tunnel to the mainland, which was followed up by seismic surveys in the fjord. SBT changed its name to Sunnhordland Bru- og Tunnelselskap, and a majority of the board shifted towards being in favor of a fixed link. The Norwegian Coastal Administration stated that they would not allow

1127-503: The Royal Resolutions themselves are the King's decisions, but are practically those of the government. However, they require the contra-signature of the Prime Minister , or, in cases relating to military command, of the Minister of Defence in order to be valid. Later, entire records from the proceedings of the Council of State is signed by all its members. This is done in order to remove all personal responsibility on part of

1176-537: The Triangle Link. From 1988, environmental groups started opposing the Triangle Link. The most active was the local chapter of the Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature , who stated that the road would have a negative impact for local boat traffic to the recreational islands of Føyno and Nautøy . They therefore recommended that the municipalities select a pontoon bridge. Another opponent to

1225-487: The appointment by the King is a formality. The members making up the Council of State require the confidence of the Norwegian legislative body, known as the Storting . In practice, the monarch will ask the leader of a parliamentary block that has a majority in the Storting to form a government. After elections resulting in no clear majority to any party or coalition, the leader of the party most likely to be able to form

1274-606: The entrances to notify drivers if the tunnel is closed. It features radio coverage and a system to register the position and key information about all vehicles in the tunnel. All the emergency equipment is connected to the Public Roads Administrations centre in Bergen. The tunnel has mobile telephone coverage. In 2016, the tunnel had an average 4,974 vehicles per day. The Triangle Link was partially financed with tolls , with toll collection located at Føyno. It

1323-449: The ferry, which were made effective from 1 January 1993. Ticket prices increased by between NOK 10 and 12. This resulted in protests from the ferry employees who stated that they would have to collect the tolls which would remove their jobs; Norwegian Seafarers' Union representatives stated that they considered suing the state. Work on the development plan started in 1992. It included safety and environmental improvements which increased

1372-548: The income in the bank and then pay the whole fixed link with the saved-up funds. Most of the opposition against the project was from Stord, while in Bømlo there was near consensus in favor of the project. The exception was in southern Bømlø, where there was concerns that their ferry service to the mainland would be terminated, which would result in considerably longer driving time to Haugesund. Concerns were also raised regarding people with fear of tunnels and proposals were made to keep

1421-412: The island is part of the municipalities of Stord (southern part) and Fitjar (northern part). The largest settlements on the island are the town of Leirvik (granted town status in 1997) and the villages of Sagvåg and Fitjar . Stord has an area of 241.2 square kilometres (93.1 sq mi) and the highest point is the 749-metre (2,457 ft) tall mountain Mehammarsåto . The island lies on

1470-527: The job. Construction from Sveio started on 16 September 1997 and from Føyno on 6 March 1998. In all, 625,000 cubic meters (22,100,000 cu ft) of earthwork was extracted. The earthwork from the Føyno side was transported by barge to Austevoll and used to build the Austevoll Bridge . The earthwork from the Sveio side was used to build roads and a golf course in the area. On average, the tunnel

1519-463: The large enterprises. Both concentrates on offshore oil installations and onshore facilities for oil recovery. Aker Solutions (Aker Stord) built supertankers of up to 370,000 tonnes dv. (until 1975). When the crash of tanker market came, the company went on to build the large production platforms in the North Sea . The year 2000, manufacturing included 63% of the economically active employees within

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1568-472: The last 10,000 years. They have made many discoveries of stone tools around Fitjar. Near the Rimbareid farm, a dwelling under a cairn was discovered by archaeologist E. de Lange in 1906. This residence is probably from the late stone age, but could also be from the early Bronze Age, since residue showed a square house, while the round house was more common in the stone age. The Rimsvarden site dates back tor

1617-482: The mainland. An inter-municipal committee was positive to the proposals, while Josef Martinsen, director of Hordaland Public Roads Administration , stated that the project was unrealistic. The limited company Ytre Sunnhordland Bru- og Tunnelselskap AS (SBT) was founded in October 1986 by the municipal authorities of Bømlo , Stord , Fitjar and Sveio , Hordaland County Municipality and five banks. In December 1986,

1666-489: The national state church. When church matters are on the table, all members of the Cabinet not registered with the Church would not be in attendance. There is no official order of succession to the premiership of Norway, but the Minister of Foreign Affairs has traditionally been regarded as akin to Deputy Prime Minister, although no such title officially exists. The King established on 1 July 1993 an Order of precedence to direct seating and ranking on formal occasions. Here,

1715-538: The northeastern coast. Most of the central part of the island is mountainous, leaving the islands population living mostly along the coasts. The vast majority of the population lives on the southern coastal area near the Hardangerfjorden . The mountains on Stord contain a lot of pyrite . There was a pyrite mine at Litlabø until 1968. At Vikanes, there are marble quarries. Huglo has limestone quarries that have been an important source of extra income since

1764-491: The northern part of the island (other than the municipal government) include engineering and agriculture (including cattle and sheep farming ). Fitjar ranks second after Austevoll in Sunnhordland in terms of landed volume of fish, so fishing is a major part of the economy too. In Stord municipality, industry began developing from 1920 until the 1970s. Manufacturing was the main industry with Kværner and Apply Leirvik as

1813-527: The northern side of the mouth of the great Hardangerfjorden . The Selbjørnsfjorden lies on the north end of the island. On the east side of the island, the Langenuen strait separates Stord from the neighboring island of Tysnesøya . On the west side of the island, the Stokksundet strait separates Stord from the neighboring island of Bømlo . There are over 350 small islands and skerries lying off

1862-507: The other four ferry services be terminated. During late 1989, advance tolling on the ferries was approved by the municipal councils and the county council, who recommended that collection start from 1 July 1990. However, the start date was not supported by the national government and the issue placed on hold. In July 1992, the master plan was passed by the Council of State . On 10 December 1992, Parliament approved advanced payment of tolls on

1911-533: The other members of the Cabinet concurrently hold the position of statsråd , meaning Councillor of State, and that of Chief of the various departments, not formally being considered 'ministers', although commonly addressed as such. The Cabinet normally convenes every week, usually on Fridays at 11:00 a.m. at the Royal Palace, Oslo , and is presided over by the Monarch . Under the 1814 Constitution of Norway ,

1960-526: The project several years. On 11 June 1996, Parliament decided with 144 against 20 votes to build the Triangle Link. The original name proposed for the tunnel was Sunnhordlandsporten ("The Portal to Sunnhordland"), but this was changed to Bømlafjordtunnelen . Geological sampling was undertaken by the Norwegian Geological Survey and Grøner, and included both core samples and reflection seismology . Late core samples showed that

2009-580: The project was the Action Committee Against a Hasty Construction of the Triangle Link, who wanted to delay the decision until after the 1991 municipal elections to ensure that the municipal councils had backing in the public. Also Gisle Tjong, a local citizen, opposed the project, stating that the risk was too large and that it was uncertain how long the tolls would last. He argued that the tolls could just as well last 60 as 15 years. Instead, he wanted to use advance tolls and fuel fees, place

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2058-612: The project's cost by NOK 200 million, and it was made subject to consultative statements in May 1994. A report on the Coastal Highway (E39) was published in 1995, which recommended that the Skjersholmane–Valevåg Ferry be removed. Following a dispute regarding the impact of the bridge landing on Stord, SBT proposed building a culvert on Digernes as a compromise to avoid developing a new plan which could have postponed

2107-401: The third-oldest national Constitution still in operation (after the constitution of San Marino and US Constitution ), the King is the head of the executive branch of Norway . However, historical developments such as the introduction of parliamentarism in 1884 and evolving constitutional tradition have altered the King's role, meaning that the Prime Minister , holding the leadership of

2156-578: The trade and service industries, while only 1% were related to primary industries. There are two historic churches on the island: Fitjar Church , built in 1867, and Stord Church , built in 1857. Nysæter Church was built in 1992. In Hystadmarkjo, one can see 12 burial mounds , some of them have given rich finds from the Bronze Age. The Sunnhordland Museum in Leirvik has collections in their ten buildings from different places in Sunnhordland. There

2205-433: The tunnel would have to be located 30 meters (98 ft) further down than originally planned to avoid deposits . The tunnel construction was awarded to two companies: the contract starting from Dalshovda in Sveio and was worked by the Public Roads Administration, while the tunneling from Føyno was worked by NCC . Both used the drilling and blasting method. NCC was awarded the contract after bidding NOK 175 million for

2254-469: Was budgeted to cost NOK 496 million, but ended up costing NOK 487 million. It opened along with the Stord Bridge on 27 December 2000. Six hours before the opening, the bottom of the tunnel was used for a wedding. The toll company held a course for people with fear of tunnels to master their fears, with 60 people participating. The official opening took place on 30 April 2001. When it opened, it

2303-462: Was built at a speed of 55 meters (180 ft) per week, with the record being 96.7 meters (317 ft). Between 30 and 40 people worked with the tunneling on each team. The lowest point was reached on 5 May 1999 and the breakthrough took place on 2 September 1999, five months before schedule. Construction involved injection of 282 tonnes (278 long tons; 311 short tons) and spraying of 14,900 cubic meters (530,000 cu ft) of gunite . The tunnel

2352-517: Was constructed as a grade-separated intersection, such that any car passes through the toll plaza once. As of 2011, the fees were NOK 85 for cars and NOK 270 for trucks. Frequent travellers could prepay for at least 40 passings to the toll company, and receive a 40 percent discount. The tolls were removed in April 2013 since the tunnel got paid off. The tunnel runs through an area with complex and varied geology. It runs through two rock complexes,

2401-542: Was the longest and second-deepest subsea tunnel in Europe and Norway, after the Hitra Tunnel . The Bømlafjord Tunnel is 7,860 meters (25,790 ft) long and crosses Bømlafjorden as part of European Route E39. To the southeast, the tunnel begins at Dalshovda in Sveio. It runs under Bømlafjord, then passes below the island of Otterøya and continues under the fjord again before ending on the island of Føyno . The tunnel

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