Norway is working on plans to make more of the major north-south E39 coastal route a ferry-free highway, coasting €35.3 billion, according to media.
In Norway, the trans-European route 39 is part national road system and is developed and maintained by the public roads administration. It runs for 1,330km along the coast from Klett just south of Trondheim to Nørresundby.
Norway’s E39 is mostly a two-lane undivided road with only relatively short sections near Stavanger, Trondheim and Bergen being motorways or express routes.
Some improvements already underway include the 26.7km Rogfast subsea tunnel near Stavanger – set to be the world’s longest and deepest road tunnel. Opening is planned for 2026 with tolls to be in place for the first 20 years of operation.
A new 5km bridge across the Bjørnafjord will replace the Sandvikvåg-to-Halhjem ferry and slash the driving time between Bergen and Stavanger.
Because of Norway’s fjords, there are nine ferries – the highest number of ferries for a single road in Europe.
Construction of a new four-lane motorway on the E39 will cut the travel time between cities Stavanger and Bergen in half, to around two hours.
Øyvind Halleraker, head of lobbying company Hordfast – the Hordaland Fixed Link – said his group wants to see construction start in 2022 and completion in 2028.
Hordfast is a planned road project between the mainland city of Bergen and the island of Stord in Hordaland county, Norway. Hordfast is the colloquial name for the project since it will connect the islands of Hordaland county with the fastlandet, which is the Norwegian word for mainland.
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens vegvesen) will presents its recommendation for a new national transport plan in December.
The longest ferry journey on the road takes you on to one of Norway’s biggest islands. Stord island has historical importance, interesting scenery, and is a key transport link between Bergen and Stavanger.
