Gothenburg’s costliest project yet unveiled

Gothenburg is moving ahead with plans for a tram tunnel linking Linnéplatsen and Lindholmen. The project carries a five-billion-kronor price tag and a completion date of 2039.

Gothenburg is preparing for what could become the city’s most expensive infrastructure project in history.

A major tram tunnel connecting Linnéplatsen and Lindholmen would cut travel time between the two areas to just six minutes. But carries a price tag of five billion kronor and at least eight years of construction, GP reports.

The detailed development plan is now heading to public consultation. The political majority backs the proposal, though several voices have raised concerns over both cost and timeline.

Project leaders say they have drawn lessons from the troubled Västlänken rail tunnel, which became synonymous with delays and cost overruns.

One key difference: this project would be managed by the City of Gothenburg itself rather than the Swedish Transport Administration. The planned tunnel also runs almost entirely through bedrock, limiting disruption to the cityscape.

– Lindholmsförbindelsen is one of the important pieces of the puzzle for increasing public transport use. And it is good that the planning sits with the city so that we have control over the project, says Emmyly Bönfors (C).

If approved, construction is set to begin in 2031 with completion expected in 2039.