Old Dyrskartunnel

Old Dyrskartunnel (Norwegian: Gamle Dyrskartunnel) is a road tunnel in Odda municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. The tunnel was built in 1900 and is one of the oldest road tunnels in Norway. Earlier, the main road over the mountains between Haugesund in Vestlandet and Østlandet (the capital of Oslo) went through the tunnel. The current European route E134 pass through the newer Haukeli tunnel in a parallel corridor. The Old Dyreskartunnel is located on the slope above the current tunnel.

Old Dyrskartunnel
Entrance from south
Overview
LocationOdda, Norway
Coordinates59°50′41″N 007°03′14″E
StatusClosed for traffic
Route E134
Old Dyreskartunnel is on a former road
Operation
Opened1900 - 1919
Trafficno
Technical
Lengthapprox. 60 metres (200 ft)
Tunnel clearance350 centimetres (140 in)
Width250 centimetres (98 in)

History

The oldest of the three former road routes in the area opened in 1886 without the tunnel, but it was commenced shortly thereafter and the tunnel opened in 1900.[1] The tunnel is about 60 metres long, for a large part hewn out of the rock, but with a natural stone arch in the south end. It was built to improve conditions in winter due to heavy snow and high avalanche danger.

The tunnel was only used for 19 years, in 1919 the road corridor was shifted to the other side of the mountain pass.

Access

Perhaps the easiest, not the shortest, but the finest access is to park at the highest point on the road through Dyrskar. It contains a monument that marks the height, and then follow the old road back to the tunnel. Along this way you get a nice view of Dyrskar and the lake Ulevåvatn.

  • Entrance to the tunnel from north.
    Entrance to the tunnel from north.
  • Transition from the rock to cut masonry arch inside the tunnel, picture from the south.
    Transition from the rock to cut masonry arch inside the tunnel, picture from the south.
  • View of the Old Dyreskartunnel, around c. 1900.Photo: National Library of Norway
    View of the Old Dyreskartunnel, around c. 1900.
    Photo: National Library of Norway
  • Overview from just south of the tunnel beyond Dyrskar. The road from 1919 snakes its way up the valley. The current E134 inside concrete culvert with a tower in the middle of the picture.
    Overview from just south of the tunnel beyond Dyrskar. The road from 1919 snakes its way up the valley. The current E134 inside concrete culvert with a tower in the middle of the picture.

References
  1. Helenorge.no Archived 2012-12-03 at archive.today in Norwegian
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