July 28, 2026, 12:14 pm | Read time: 4 minutes

24.5 kilometers? Eyes widen at this number on the tunnel length display board. Light, fjord landscapes, and sky views quickly disappear. A slightly uneasy feeling sets in. The eyes must first adjust and then marvel at the round tunnel structure. Gray borders on gray, with only small parking bays offering an escape, should that–God forbid–be necessary. Better not to think about it. Better to stoically look forward and drive. Just drive. Until the end of the 24.5-kilometer-long Lærdal Tunnel in Norway.

The Lærdal Tunnel in Norway

The massive Lærdal Tunnel leads from the beauties of the Aurlandsfjord area through the mountain to emerge in Lærdal (or vice versa). A sight in itself, the toll-free tunnel connects western Bergen with Norway’s eastern capital, Oslo. The tunnel was opened in 2000 after five years of construction. Since then, the Lærdal Tunnel has been the longest road tunnel in the world. Yet, in its enormous length, it is not entirely alone. For example, the WestConnex Tunnel in Sydney, Australia, reaches 22.4 kilometers, and the Tianshan-Shengli Tunnel in China is 22.1 kilometers long. And anyone traveling by car in Norway quickly becomes accustomed to tunnel journeys, as every longer route inevitably leads through several of these mountain paths. It makes little difference to the inner feeling whether you drive 16, 20, 22, or 24 kilometers through the mountain instead of around or over it.

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Light Show in the Longest Road Tunnel

What makes the Lærdal Tunnel so special? Primarily, it is, of course, the superlative–the longest road tunnel in the world is something to behold. The special feature of this tunnel, as I see it, is not just its length but its light show. It has long captivated not only my four-year-old. The designers of this tunnel monster came up with something truly beautiful: a charming light show that illuminates several tunnel caves in different colors, making them appear as true magical landscapes. No wonder the question arose from the back seat about whether there are fairies here, as the sparkling sea of lights in the midst of the darkness seemed more than a little magical.

Besides the light show inside the tunnel, the E16 route with its Lærdal Tunnel promises several other features that make this route worthwhile even for those with tunnel anxiety. Perhaps the most fascinating of these companions, in my opinion, is the Aurlandsfjord, which can be best admired from Stegastein. The arched viewing platform is reached via a narrow and winding road, where the interaction of vehicles going up and down often requires friendly pulling over to the side, reversing back up, and hand signals. Another popular attraction near the tunnel is the over 800-year-old Borgund Stave Church in Lærdal.

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Lærdal Tunnel Faces Competition in Its Own Country

The Lærdal Tunnel may only be able to call itself the longest tunnel in the world for a few more years. Unless another one comes first, a compatriot is expected to dethrone the tunnel located in southern central Norway. Currently, the Rogfast Tunnel is being built under the Boknafjord in the Rogaland region in the south of the country. It is expected to be 27 kilometers long and lie up to 400 meters below sea level, as reported by “Focus.” The underwater tunnel is part of a plan to create a ferry-free connection between Kristiansand and Trondheim. This is intended to significantly reduce travel times and boost the economy.