Triangle Link

Christened the Island Road, he proposed a series of eleven bridges and causeways which would run from Kalveid in Fitjar via Brandasund to Rolfsnes in Bømlo.

While local politicians were not opposed to the plan, the recent municipal merger between Bømlo, Bremnes and Moster made them prioritize other sectors and the project was abandoned without any official investigations.

In 1973, the municipal councils of Bømlo, Stord and Fitjar decided to launch a planning process, which concluded that a pontoon bridge between Sørstokken and Foldrøyholmen would be optimal.

Led by Bømlo Mayor Arne M. Haldorsen, it issued Engineer Harald Møyner the task to author a report and recommendation.

[12] The Norwegian Civil Aviation Administration protested against a possible suspension bridge near the airport, but stated that one closer further away would be fine.

[13] Mapping of traffic patterns on Bømlo was undertaken by Hordaland Public Roads Administration in 1984, and based on this and other feedback, a pontoon bridge between Foldrøyholmen and Sørstokken was recommended.

[13] The company Johannes Sørlie launched an all-tunnel proposal in 1985, which would cost NOK 700 million and give 18 kilometers (11 mi) of subsea tunnel connecting Bømlo to Stord and the mainland.

[13] The committee was positive to the proposals, while Josef Martinsen, director of Hordaland Public Roads Administration, stated that the project was unrealistic.

The committee continued its work until it dissolved itself in October 1986 and was replaced by the limited company Ytre Sunnhordland Bru- og Tunnelselskap AS (SBT).

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 issue became the subject of major local debate and was supplemented by a demand from residents in southern Bømlo that they did not want to lose their ferry service, which would be faster than driving via the fixed link.

On 6 January, SBT started negotiating loans with various banks to receive financial guarantees for the Triangle Link, and by February sufficient funding had been secured.

By June, a new chapter had been established on Bømlo, and the group stated that it was irresponsible to build a link which would result in a massive increase in car use.

Instead, he wanted to use advanced tolls and fuel fees, place the income in the bank and then pay the whole fixed link with the accumulated funds.

[26] 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.

[27] The report concluded that the maintenance costs of the fixed link would be lower than the subsidies of the ferry, that the project would be economical of society and would reduce emissions.

[28] On 18 and 19 September 1990, the Standing Committee on Transport and Communications visited the region and looked at the proposed areas of the Triangle Link, the Hardanger Bridge and the Folgefonna Tunnel.

Tore Haugen, Conservative parliamentarian from Akershus, proposed that the project be considered independent of the regular national road plans.

However, Lars Gunnar Lie, Minister of Transport and Communications from the Christian Democratic Party, stated that he planned a single report to Parliament for all three projects.

[31][32] The same year, Dag Hareide in the Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature started lobbying up towards national politicians in an attempt to stop the issue in Parliament.

In June 1992, the county council was asked to prioritize between the Hardanger Bridge and the Triangle Link, as there would not be sufficient state grants to build both projects.

Minister of Transport and Communications, Kjell Opseth of the Labour Party, stated that he wanted to equally prioritize the Triangle Link and the Hardanger Bridge, but that it would be unrealistic to build both in the same period.

Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland of the Labour Party stated on 10 October 1995 that the government was in favor of the Triangle Link and opposed to the Hardanger Bridge.

Before the first blast could be taken by County Mayor Magnar Lussand, representatives for Vestlandet Natue and Youth, and The People's Movement Against the Triangle Link had to be moved.

[41] Core samples showed that the tunnel would have to be built 30 meters (98 ft) deeper than originally planned to avoid deposits.

[4] The fastening poles were delivered five weeks after schedule; a new mounting method was developed which allowed them to be installed in a quarter of the time, in part by using a helicopter, and the whole five-week delay was eradicated.

[52] As a consequence, Minister of Transport Torild Skogsholm stated that future large road investments would have an external quality assurance before being presented to Parliament.

[56] Especially a trip made by Chairman Harry Herstad and his wife to San Francisco to participate at a conference was criticized, as it cost the toll company NOK 118,000.

[55] Øyvind Halleraker withdrew as managing director of SBT and as chairman of the Norwegian Road Financing Companies Association in January 2005.

[55] As a consequence of the report, Hordaland County Municipality demanded an extraordinary annual meeting be held in February, in which chairman Harry Herstad was replaced.