Triangle Link

The Triangle Link (Norwegian: Trekantsambandet) is a fixed link with three branches that connects the islands of Stord and Bømlo to each other and to the mainland at Sveio, Norway. It consists of the underwater Bømlafjord Tunnel from Sveio to the island of Føyno, the Stord Bridge from there to Stord, and a road including the Bømla Bridge and the Spissøy Bridge to Bømlo. The section from Sveio to Stord is part of European Route E39, while the branch to Bømlo is part of County Road 542.

The Bømlo Tunnel is 7,860 meters (25,790 ft) long and reaches 260 meters (850 ft) below mean sea level. It is the longest subsea tunnel in Norway and was the deepest in the world when it opened. The Stord Bridge and Bømla Bridge are both suspension bridges, with lengths of 1,077 and 998 metres (3,533 and 3,274 ft) and main spans of 677 and 577 meters (2,221 and 1,893 ft). The Spissøy Bridge is a 283-meter (928 ft) beam bridge. The link is 21.5-kilometer (13.4 mi) long toll road with a toll plaza on Føyno. The section from Stord to Bømlo has a pedestrian and bicycle path.

Plans for a link between Bømlo and Stord were first launched as a pontoon bridge in the 1960s. In the late 1980s, the plans evolved into a triangular project. There was controversy surrounding the project, in particular from environmentalists. The Parliament of Norway passed the plans in 1996, and construction started the following year. The bridges and link between Stord and Bømlo opened on 28 December 2000, while the tunnel opened on 30 April 2001. The link cost 1.8 billion Norwegian krone (NOK) after substantial cost overruns and will remain a toll road until late 2012 or 2013.