The Nappstraum tunnel closures

When is the Nappstraum tunnel closed?

Every night until the project ends in December 2027. The hours change with the season, and from 16 November to 6 December 2026 the closure starts early.

The project page on vegvesen.no says the tunnel will be closed at night for about 2.5 years, and that night closures started on 30 October 2025. Until 16 November 2026, the closure runs from 23:00 to 06:00 with one passage at 02:00.

Then comes three weeks of heavy concrete work that Statens vegvesen wants done before the frost. From 16 November to 6 December the tunnel closes two hours earlier at Flesa and an hour earlier at Napp. From 7 December and through the winter it goes back to 23:00 to 06:00. Both winter periods move the night passage to 00:30 from Flesa and about 00:40 from Napp, to fit the winter timetable of the Bodø to Moskenes ferry.

Flesa is the eastern end, on the Leknes side. Napp is the village at the western end, on Flakstadøy.

How does the daytime convoy through the tunnel work?

You queue at the barrier and follow a pilot car through. It leaves twice an hour in the morning and afternoon rush, and once an hour the rest of the day.

The traffic page lists fixed departures. From 06:00 to 09:00 and from 15:00 to 17:00 there are two each hour from both sides. From 09:00 to 15:00 and 17:00 to 23:00 there is one: on the hour from Flesa, on the half hour from Napp. Emergency vehicles pass freely when life and health are at stake, and Statens vegvesen says it will send SMS alerts if it has to close beyond the plan.

The practical bit: at midday, just miss a convoy and you wait up to an hour. Time your drive to the timetable rather than the other way round.

What does the tunnel closure mean for driving to Reine?

Add up to an hour to the Svolvær to Reine drive by day, and do not plan to cross after 23:00 (or after 21:00 from 16 November to 6 December) unless you can make the single night passage.

Svolvær to Reine is about 121 km and just under two hours without stops. The convoy adds a wait of anything from a few minutes to an hour. Three trips are worth checking against the timetable: a late flight into Leknes with a room booked in Reine or Hamnøy; the Bodø to Moskenes ferry if you are driving east toward Leknes or Svolvær; and an evening aurora drive across the strait.

Miss the last convoy and your choice is the night passage or a bed on the side you are on. Between 16 November and 6 December, someone landing at Leknes after 21:00 and heading west waits for the 00:30. If you would rather skip the stress, stay in Svolvær and let someone else drive, or sleep west of the tunnel for the whole stay. Our guide to Reine, Hamnøy and Å covers the case for a base out west.

Does the tunnel affect the day tour to Reine and Å?

It can shift the timing. The listing for the day tour from Svolvær says one-way traffic in the Nappstraum tunnel may affect the schedule.

The 9-hour day tour to Reine and Å drives the whole E10 west from Svolvær or Leknes and back, about 2.5 hours each way. That means two convoy queues a day. The listing warns that the Nappstraum tunnel's one-way traffic may affect timing, and the guide keeps the stop order flexible for weather, light and parking.

A convoy is a nuisance on a self-drive. On a tour it is somebody else's problem, and the guide plans the crossing into the day. The return lands well before the night closure. Belinda from Poland put it simply: "I'm so glad I paid for the tour rather than hiring a car myself."

Hamnøy, Sakrisøy, Reine and Å with a Reine-based guide, eight guests at most, a meal on the way and no tunnel timetable to watch.

★ 4.8 · 9 hours

Explore the day tour to Reine and Å → Tour details

Can cyclists and pedestrians use the Nappstraum tunnel?

No. The tunnel is closed to cyclists and pedestrians for the whole project, until December 2027. Small groups get a lift through.

Statens vegvesen says cyclists and pedestrians in small, unorganised groups will be picked up by a suitable vehicle, and pedestrians can use public transport. Larger organised groups have to get their tour operator to arrange transport. The pages do not give a booking number, so ask at the barrier or check the traffic page before you set off.

The traffic page also describes a summer pause from 15 July to 15 August, when work stops and cars pass freely at reduced speed. Even then the tunnel stays closed to bikes and walkers. If you are cycling the Lofoten length in 2027, build the transfer into your day.

What is being done to the tunnel, and when will it finish?

A full safety and technical upgrade by the contractor OneCo Infra AS. Statens vegvesen expects it to open in December 2027.

The list on vegvesen.no is long: new water and frost protection, drainage with an oil separator, three new lay-bys inside the tunnel, new ventilation and lighting, a new monitoring system and emergency radio, emergency cabinets with fire extinguishers and phones, rock securing, blasting and new asphalt.

The contract with OneCo Infra was signed on 31 March 2025 after an earlier contract with Skanska ended in 2024. Work began on 18 August 2025. We will update this post if the 2027 schedule changes, and our guide on how to get to Lofoten covers the ferry and flight options on both sides of the tunnel.

Frequently asked questions