Hello. I dont have a driver license, but I know that Norway is one of the richest countries out there, and still Norway got less than 150km with highways.

Think of it. Driving from Oslo to Bergen takes about 10 hours! Thats 98% 2 lane road with yellow stripes in the middle for the most and at some sections its even smaller with white stripes at the edges of asphalt.

Lets take route from Oslo to Bergen:
Oslo
¦
¦ Highway class A
¦
Sandvika
¦
¦ 2 lane road, where 0.2% of it is classified as Highway B
¦
Voss
¦
¦ Highway from border of town to center of Bergen ;p
¦
Bergen


Does anyone have maps of Norways highways maybe?

I made an illustration with this map ;)

http://home.powertech.no/micbergs/grabb/highwaysnorway.jpg

So.. if Netherlands gets flooded or islands swallowed by the ocean. Norway got plenty of space :)

Is the speed limit on motorways still 90km/h? That would be the lowest max.speed i've ever seen.

And thanks for the invitation, but we have an excellent dike and dune system. They even came from New Orleans to check out our Delta-projects :)
But Norway is a nice country, but quite expensive i heard. But the scenery compares that easily ;)

^ The speed limit is now 100 km/h. :D

I really don't understand why they have so few motorways, Finland for example has much more.

Well, the terrain is extremely mountainous, compared to flat Finland. maybe there is no need for them, because of low amounts of traffic. There are only a few million people in this country.

i think there is more then 150 km of motorway, but not too much. on the map that i own motorway system looks like on this picture. the thing that i hate in nordic countries (den, swe, nor) is that they don't have motorway numbers. fin has, but they are the same as state roads.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a203/ixic/highwaysnorway.jpg

That map is all wrong. Between Oslo and Lillehammer,.. the 4 lane highway is only upto Gardermoen airport, then further north its 2 lane highway and thats not real highway.

There are only 2 places in whole Norway where you can drive in 100km/h.

AmiDelf you are wrong.. There are quite many places you can drive in 100 km/h in Norway.

E6 from Vinterbro to Solli, E6 from Oslo to Jessheim, E18 from Asker to Drammen, E18 from Drammen to Kopstad and also the highway connecting E6 and Oslo Airport have all speed limits of 100 km/h.

And the term "highway" is wronly used here. Highway means "riksveg". You guys are talking about Motorways/Expressways.

100km/h is slow for me.

100km/h is slow for me

Not that slow if u take in mind that 120km/h is the speed limit on like 80% of Europe's highways, except Germany where they use no speed limits for highways.

As for norways highways, i really had no idea that they actually have so little of them.

100km/h is slow for me.

Sadly enough, you'll see 100km/h on a growing amount of motorways in The Netherlands, outside urban areas.

It is such a slow speed! But in Norways case, it's okay, so you can enjoy the scenery :lol:

^the traffic is usually going in 110-120 though ;)

We have so bad motorways because all the money has been spent by stupid politicians wanting to build bridges and tunnels in the small places they come from(usually western or northern Norway):ohno:

^the traffic is usually going in 110-120 though

Well in Greece the speed limit on highways is 120(140 in some cases) but the traffic(Cars) is moving a lot higher(140-180).Thats a reason for us having a lot of deaths in our roads though.

^the traffic is usually going in 110-120 though ;)

We have so bad motorways because all the money has been spent by stupid politicians wanting to build bridges and tunnels in the small places they come from(usually western or northern Norway):ohno:Really? I would have thought that a country like Norway would know its priorities.

Really? I would have thought that a country like Norway would know its priorities.

It's been bettet the last 10-15 years. Infrastructure-projects around Oslo have higher priority now(although most of them are financed by toll-roads). We've got a new motorway through much of Vestfold and Østfold (southwest and southeast of Oslo), and more is under construction. A 40 km motorway between Kristiansand and Grimstad in the south is also under construction.

But the problem is that we are lagging behind, these motorways currently under construction would have been finished 30 years ago had the same area been in Sweden or Denmark.

^^ i dont understand norway is one of the richest if not the richest country in the world and has no money for motorways.

^the traffic is usually going in 110-120 though ;)

Are you sure? I heard fines are ridiculous high.

Well in Greece the speed limit on highways is 120(140 in some cases) but the traffic(Cars) is moving a lot higher(140-180).Thats a reason for us having a lot of deaths in our roads though.

You may also drive at 140 km/h in Greece? Where would that be?

Are you sure? I heard fines are ridiculous high.

Yes, but they usually don't bother with people driving 10-20km/h faster than the limit on the high standard motorways, only on the roads of poorer standards, where there are more accidents.

I am sure, I've driven on the roads out of Oslo many times ;)

You may also drive at 140 km/h in Greece? Where would that be?

IN pathe(παθε) motorway, there is a part of the road that speed limit is 140km/h its the part near thessaloniki which is 3 lanes each side.
I dont know if there is anywhere else though.The rule is 120km/h except if u see a sign that indicates a higher speed,can be lower also ofc :).

^ I didn't know that, thanks. :)

Btw, any pix of Norwegian motorways? :)

The new motorway on E18 through Vestfold. 35km, 7km in tunnel, 2 km over bridges.
http://www.oslofjordtunnelen.com/filesystem/imgs/e18_oversikt_kart.gif

From the construction-phase:
http://www.oslofjordtunnelen.com/filesystem/imgs/e18_oversikt01.jpg

http://www.oslofjordtunnelen.com/filesystem/imgs/e18_vestfold_helland.jpg

that thing over the road is a restaurant
http://www.oslofjordtunnelen.com/filesystem/imgs/img_e18_vestfold.jpg

All I had time for now

^ I like such restaurants. Btw, is there any Norwegian motorways' site or at least Norwegian roads' site?

This is how our motorway signage looks like:

http://www.vegvesen.no/vegskilt/vegvisningsskilt/bmp/705.bmp

And the blue one below is at the exit:

http://www.vegvesen.no/vegskilt/vegvisningsskilt/bmp/715.bmp

Distance sign (the blue one on motorways of course):

http://www.vegvesen.no/vegskilt/vegvisningsskilt/bmp/725.bmp

And that sign with a crest appears everytime you drive into a new county (blue no matter what kind of road you re at)...

http://www.vegvesen.no/vegskilt/vegvisningsskilt/bmp/727.bmp

E6 Near Trondheim, taken with my old camera:

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/3194/dsc00082ge6.th.jpg (http://img143.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00082ge6.jpg)

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/3313/dsc00083on8.th.jpg (http://img143.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00083on8.jpg)

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/66/dsc00084sp4.th.jpg (http://img99.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00084sp4.jpg)

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/3769/dsc00085bd0.th.jpg (http://img99.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00085bd0.jpg)

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/543/dsc00086lw2.th.jpg (http://img99.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00086lw2.jpg)

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/2281/dsc00087hg3.th.jpg (http://img149.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00087hg3.jpg)

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/4956/dsc00088db0.th.jpg (http://img149.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00088db0.jpg)

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/6637/dsc00089cw6.th.jpg (http://img149.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00089cw6.jpg)

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/261/dsc00090zh3.th.jpg (http://img214.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00090zh3.jpg)

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/2204/dsc00091aa7.th.jpg (http://img214.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00091aa7.jpg)

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/8413/dsc00092ic9.th.jpg (http://img214.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00092ic9.jpg)

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/2747/dsc00096ha0.th.jpg (http://img214.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00096ha0.jpg)

Oslo:

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/5108/dsc00010ba0.th.jpg (http://img221.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00010ba0.jpg)

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens vegvesen)http://www.vegvesen.no/servlet/Satellite?pagename=SVV%2FSVVforwardToSite&c=Publication&sitename=engelsk is responsible for planning, building and up keeping of national roads in Norway. The net pages describing the different road projects are only in Norwegian.http://www.vegvesen.no/servlet/Satellite?cid=1167903998425&pagename=vegvesen%2FPage%2FSVVsubSideInnholdMal&c=Page A resent study showed that Norway uses just as much on road construction as Sweden and Denmark, but the decision-making is quite different. In Norway almost all such decisions are some sort of pork barrelling (done in the parliament, versa Sweden and Denmark to a larger distinct trust upon the departments of transportation and/or road authorities).

Nice compilation of pix! What's the total length of Norwegian motorways (precisely, if possible)?

Norway has of today around 270km of motorways. It is very popular to complain about the state of Norwegian roads and the phase of new building, but there is little or none effort done to change the decision-making process which is the main reason of the way recourses are distributed to infrastructure investments.
Concerning the highways connecting Oslo and Bergen (E16/R7), will this be a rather silly place to start. Some parts are her of pore condition, but work/planning fore these parts are under way. But the need of a motorway all the way is greatly overestimated by some populists and ill-informed pressures groups. The road traffic between Oslo and Bergen are extremely low (under 2000 vehicles pr day). The rescores ere best spend were there in fact are severely problems. The R7 is not closed during winter (as some other even less trafficked mountain roads are) but due to the extreme weather condition over ‘Hardangervidda’ (1250m) , it might be closed for some days at the time during winter, but most often only at night (about 530 hours pr year).

^ Thanks!:) I knew it was more than 150 or 200 km.

4 lane motorways is under 200km long. Norway got lots of B class motorways, which are 2 lanes only, but without crossings. Those cant be counted as real motorways though.

I have seen the number 180km (2003), and I have seen 270km as of today, but neither are official numbers, of which I can’t find any. The larger number might or might not take in account all 4 lane expressways as Ring 3, Rv 4, Rv 163, Rv 190 and parts of E6 and E18 in Oslo of which none has full motorway standard. The lower number probably excludes these sections and of course those parts opened since ’03. But if you include all 2 lane expressways, the number are much higher (664km according to CIA World Fact book). Eider way, this is a way to low number, but this has more to do with pork barrelling than anything else.

There are no "B class motorways" in Norway anymore. Motorway have to have four lanes to be called motorways in Norway.

Here are some pictures of Norwegian carriageways. These are not mine, I just found them online.

http://thazul.info/travel/norway06/Image00109.jpg

http://thazul.info/travel/norway06/Image00130.jpg

This road looks exactly like a US highway
http://thazul.info/travel/norway062/Image00158.jpg

http://thazul.info/travel/norway062/Image00239.jpg

http://thazul.info/travel/norway062/Image00356.jpg

http://thazul.info/travel/norway062/Image00360.jpg

The Norwegian motorway (4+ lanes with correct signposting) network is currently - as someone have already stated - approx. 270 kms. In addition to this, there are about 60 kms of reasonable quality limited-access mulitlane highways around some cities (Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Kristiansand). By 2010, the network will increase by about 90 kms (mainly through duelling of single-carriageway expressways). By 2015, the network will have increased by a further 200+ kms. That is if everything goes according to plan, which it rarely does up here...

In addition to this, a Swedish invention has become increasingly popular amongst the Norwegian road authorities: the narrow 4-lane road. Originally conceived as one way of widening Sweden's extensive 2-lane, 13-metre wide, road network to something resembling motorways (16 metres across with a centre guard rail), it has been introduced in Norway as a way of building motorways on the cheap.

I heard the limit on Norwegian motorways are 90 or 100 km/h (and further 80 km/h). Is it 90 and 100 when signed, or 100 and 90 when signed? Btw, why don't you raise your speed limits? With such long distances in your country it takes quite long to travel with those low limits.

Norway is very mountainous. I think you may be happy to even reach 90km/h on many stretches. Although speed limits on motorways are low. They better raise them to 120km/h.

But someone who wants to go from Oslo or Bergen to Nordkapp by car can do it? are there highways?

There is a road to the Nordkapp yes. But don't expect motorway-like roads. The roads are very quiet, Norway is large and has only a population of 4.3 million. Especially north of Trondheim.

But the usual road from Europe to the Nordkapp is through Sweden and Finland, because that's shorter.

Norway is very mountainous. I think you may be happy to even reach 90km/h on many stretches. Although speed limits on motorways are low. They better raise them to 120km/h.

There's been talk about raising the speed limits on some new motorways. I think the reason motorways are still limited to 90 or 100 km/h is because people aren't used to real (extra-urban) motorways and so the normal speed limits have applied there as well. Norway only has two standard speed limits, for urban roads (80) and country roads (50), while most other countries also have one for motorways. I remember when I was a kid and we drove in Sweden how exciting it was to see speed limits with three digits. The roads of course had a much better quality (and the terrain was much easier to build in) to support these limits.

http://nexus.fizyka.amu.edu.pl/digital/2007-07..Norwegia/

Very cool photo's done by some Polish guy, so all credits go to him.
(taken from the Polish subforum on SSC).

It's a shame that there aren't more photos of Norwegian motorways online. Some of them is really top class!

It's a shame that there aren't more photos of Norwegian motorways online. Some of them is really top class!

I'll try to take some in October, though I'll fly there but certainly I'll have an access to the car :)

P.S. I used to take a ferry from Moss to Horten, my family lives in Tonsberg :)

WHAT?

I currently live in Tønsberg. Weird! :)

Yeah, you guys are almost family ;)

WHAT?

I currently live in Tønsberg. Weird! :)

I'll be in Tønsberg from the 4th until 8th of October :)

There is a road to the Nordkapp yes. But don't expect motorway-like roads. The roads are very quiet, Norway is large and has only a population of 4.3 million. Especially north of Trondheim.

But the usual road from Europe to the Nordkapp is through Sweden and Finland, because that's shorter.

We are 4.6 million, actually... But 40% of those live within an hour's drive from Oslo, and more than 50% within two hours. Puts thing into perspective when you know that the distance Oslo-Rome is SHORTER than Oslo-Kirkenes (at the Russian border)... However, this has not yet resulted in a proper motorway network around Oslo and the other urban areas or a reasonable 2-lane main road system throughout the rest of the country. In fact, secondary national roads may be as good as E roads and other main roads (but they may also be in a terrible state...).

I think there are four main reasons for this: 1. The political aspect already mentioned by someone else. 2. The lack of a national strategy: in fact, up to the 90s, all Norwegian "national" roads, including E roads, were for all intents an purposes county roads, everything went through the counties. 3. The counties have been competing for funds, and thus, arguments like "last year, the Oslo region got more than us, therefore we should get more than them next year" were considered valid. 4. Even main roads have generally been made as inprovements of older, rural roads instead of making brand new roads. The same stretch of road, then, might well have been improved two, three or even four times since WWII, and the current road will still be worse than the similar one built in Sweden 40 years ago...

Here are some articles from an mc magazine with quality pictures of Norwegian roads. The first is from a regional road an hour's drive north of Oslo:
http://www.mcjournalen.no/ruter/rute_hurdal.htm
A quiet road through hills and forests - national route 180. Another quiet road just round the corner is the 240:
http://www.mcjournalen.no/ruter/rute_brandbu.htm
A more spectacular road is this, in the vicinity of Stavanger. Not a national road, but a tourist attraction nevertheless:
http://www.mcjournalen.no/ruter/rute_lysebotn.htm
A mix of old and new regional highways is found around one of the deepest lakes in Europe, the Tinnsjø. This is the 37 and the 364:
http://www.mcjournalen.no/ruter/rute_tinnsjo.htm
The 51 will take you through high mountains, all the way up to 1389 m. Not much for North/South Americans or even central Europeans, but quite extreme up here:
http://www.mcjournalen.no/ruter/rute_valdresflya.htm
Another example of a typical rural road is the 255:
http://www.mcjournalen.no/ruter/rute_espedal.htm
Spectacular nature and roads is available along the 63, both in Geiranger and along Trollstigen:
http://www.mcjournalen.no/ruter/rute_geiranger.htm
http://www.mcjournalen.no/ruter/rute_trollstigen.htm

For some reason I couldn't simply paste pictures, but I hope you'll enjoy some of these. I'll dig up some more later.

Here's the entrance of the world's longest road tunnel, Lærdalstunnelen:
http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilde:Laerdalstunnelen.jpg

More Wikipedia stuff, this a suspension bridge on the 13 outside Stavanger on the southwestern coast:
http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilde:Lysefjordbrua_fra_Uburen.jpg
Another bridge, much further north. On the 17 outside Sandnessjøen in Nordland county (and yes, "Nordland" means virtually what you would expect, even though it's not the northernmost county):
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Helgelandsbrua-2006-07-02.JPG
Oslo's Ring 3 (aka rv 150 - but not signposted as that):
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Quevaal_oslo.jpg
A tolling station on the E6 just south of Oslo:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Bomring_Abilds%C3%B8_E6.JPG
E6 in Nordland:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/T%C3%B8mmernes.jpg
New E18 under construction, approx 50 kms southeast of Oslo:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/E18_motorway_under_construction_Askim_Norway.JPG
Norway's highest mountain pass is found on the 55, here a (rather blurred) picture of the climb on the western side, where the road starts at sea level and ends at an elevation of 1440 m:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Riksvei_55_ved_Turtagr%C3%B8.jpg
Almost as far north you can drive in Europe. The E69 south of the North Cape:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/E-69_road_Mageroya.jpg
Ferries are common in Norway. This picture is from the 70s, but the situation is much the same today:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/MF_Bj%C3%B8rnefjord_%281962-1988%29.jpg

Hope you'll enjoy these as well, I'll see if I can find some more...

Very nice pictures! Keep up the good work. :)

Norway's Highways are beautiful, congratulaisons Norway!

By popular demand;)

I found these on the Norwegian national road organisation's home page:

A few pictures from the western part of Oslo, on the quite busy rv 168. A tunnel is planned to ease the congestion:
http://www.vegvesen.no/region_ost/prosjekter/roa/w_trafikkbilder/pages/kryssvest3.htm
One of the largest construction sites in Norway is in central Oslo. An immersed tunnel is being built to link two existing tunnels on the E18 in order to get traffic away from Oslo's seafront and the new opera. Here's a map and some images:
http://www.vegvesen.no/cs/Satellite?c=Page&cid=1157615752099&pagename=VPBjorvika%2FPage%2FVPside
One of many problems on Norway's highways... tractors. These are from the heavily trafficed E6 in Gudbrandsdalen approx 200 kms north of Oslo:
http://www.vegvesen.no/cs/BlobServer?blobcol=urlpicture&blobtable=SVVbilde&blobkey=id&blobwhere=1174979506464&blobheader=image%2Fjpeg
http://www.vegvesen.no/cs/BlobServer?blobcol=urlpicture&blobtable=SVVbilde&blobkey=id&blobwhere=1174979506448&blobheader=image%2Fjpeg
http://www.vegvesen.no/cs/BlobServer?blobcol=urlpicture&blobtable=SVVbilde&blobkey=id&blobwhere=1174979506477&blobheader=image%2Fjpeg
http://www.vegvesen.no/cs/BlobServer?blobcol=urlpicture&blobtable=SVVbilde&blobkey=id&blobwhere=1174979506490&blobheader=image%2Fjpeg
There are plans to improve the E6 on the abovementioned stretch, but it is at least 8-10 years in the future. Parts of the E16 northwest of Oslo, however, is already under construction. Here are some images of how it will be:
http://www.vegvesen.no/region_ost/prosjekter/VP_e16/bjorum_skaret_karusell/pages/b1_del2.htm
This page includes a nice picture of one of Norway's older expressways, the E18 outside Larvik, 120 kms southwest of Oslo. It is overdue to be (and going to be) replaced by a motorway:
http://www.vegvesen.no/cs/Satellite?c=Page&cid=1150553720765&f=true&pagename=VPE18Larvik%2FPage%2FVPside

For some reason, the road authorities focus almost exclusively on projects being built or planned, but there are some interesting samples here. For the truly interested, their web site, www.vegvesen.no is worth a try. There is an English version, but most of it is in Norwegian.

There is actually a "beautiful road award" in Norway... Here are the best two in 2006, the first from the northwestern part of the country, the second from central Oslo (click arrows to see more):
http://www.vegvesen.no/vakreveger/2006/pages/31SVV-712608.htm
http://www.vegvesen.no/vakreveger/2006/hedrendepris_thumb/pages/frognerplass1.htm

Eventually I found what I was really looking for - the web page for the national tourist roads. It's full of more touristy pictures (and of course in Norwegian), but if you click a bit back and forth, you'll find some good stuff. To begin with, here are shots from the spectacular Atlanterhavsveien, rv 64:

http://www.turistveg.no/modules/module_123/templates/fp.asp?iCategoryId=75&vt=fp&iTVID=46&iInfoId=85&lang=nor

Enjoy!

This one front-page news from Aftenposten (http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1972523.ece), Norway's newspaper of record.

Norwegian highway-building lags rest of Europe
Norway, despite its vast oil wealth, has been extremely slow to improve its roads and build safer, multi-lane highways. Startling new statistics were unveiled Monday, just after another weekend of deadly head-on collisions on heavily trafficked two-lane highways.

Two people were killed on the busy E-18 highway Sunday afternoon, when their car crashed head-on into a truck near Larvik. The fatal collision closed the highway for hours, and occurred at almost the same spot as another deadly crash last week.

Newspaper Aftenposten revealed statistics in its Monday edition documenting the lack of so-called "Class A" multi-lane highways in Norway. While Sweden has 1,740 kilometers of such roads, Norway has just 281 kilometers. Denmark, meanwhile, can boast 1,024 kilometers and Finland 700 kilometers.

Even poorer countries like Portugal have built 972 kilometers of multi-lane highways in the past six years, according to Knut Boge, a highway expert at Akershus College (Høyskolen i Akershus). He was presenting a detailed report on Norwegian roadbuilding, or lack thereof, at a seminar in Oslo on Monday.

Norway's mountains and jutted coastline have long been portrayed as hindrances to highway building in the country. Boge suggests other factors are at work.

Authorities in Sweden, Finland and Denmark have made "transport infrastructure" a priority since the 1950s, Boge told Aftenposten. Roadbuilding has been viewed as a means of securing national business competitiveness, he said, while Norwegian authorities "have been less concerned with this."

He noted that Norway is saving the majority of its oil and gas wealth overseas, through its massive pension fund. "Swedish, Danish and Finnish authorities, without such wealth, have made investment at home a priority, not least in transport infrastructure," Boge said. "They traditionally have seen a need for roads, taken the initiative to build them and then gradually paid for them through tax revenues."

In Norway, he said, state authorities since the 1800s have made roads mostly the responsibility of motorists, townships and counties. Last year, he noted, local and user contributions to roadbuilding made up roughly half of the total amount spent.

Norwegian politicians also fund projects that can help them secure reelection, not necessarily the projects that can build the most roads for the money and enhance safety.

The Aftenposten article is very much to the point. The only transport infrastructure ever prioritised up here, is airports. A joke from Northern Norway illustrates the point:

"Finally, we have an excellent airport with direct links to the rest of the country."

"Great, but how are we going to get to the airport? Do we have to swim?"

I agree that there are way to few Norwegian motorways, but in 2009 you can drive on Motorway all the way from Oslo to Tønsberg and Oslo to the Swedish border. So it is getting somewhat better! :)

I agree that there are way to few Norwegian motorways, but in 2009 you can drive on Motorway all the way from Oslo to Tønsberg and Oslo to the Swedish border. So it is getting somewhat better! :)

That's very good news! Keep building'em, so that my dream of visiting the Lofoten and Finnmark will be more feasible! :D (I live far away, in Romania!)

As promised, I present a few pictures taken 4 days ago - E18 Oslo - Kristiansand

http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/8549/71001528xs0.jpg
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/7976/92399625tv7.jpg
http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/4217/33179057hr7.jpg
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/2109/34569063hx8.jpg
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/3377/67510159sk9.jpg
http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/7840/24251099kp1.jpg
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/4481/97452007tt1.jpg
http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/3486/71225856ly5.jpg
http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/8567/74650656os4.jpg
http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/4306/10bx0.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/9739/11jq2.jpg
http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/1043/12bw4.jpg
http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/4237/13ge7.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/686/14at9.jpg
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/3/15rm0.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/2193/16ns8.jpg
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/9900/17iy6.jpg
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/7236/18yx7.jpg
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/2010/19uh1.jpg
http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/4379/20sr7.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/9634/21cd9.jpg
http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/121/22rv4.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/7990/23dv0.jpg
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/6818/24rw1.jpg
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/3484/25mz2.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/3527/26be9.jpg
http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/4926/27hr1.jpg
http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/7628/46nw6.jpg
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http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/9581/33ds8.jpg
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http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/4484/37ho1.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/7429/38et5.jpg
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/9825/39wn6.jpg
http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/5084/40wx1.jpg
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/2331/41ba4.jpg
http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/1724/42js0.jpg
http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/3161/43cq3.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/3471/44xt5.jpg
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/4118/45de8.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/8574/47el0.jpg

Hope you enjoyed :)

Very nice pictures!:banana:

http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/7628/46nw6.jpg

This is the signs for B class motorways/highways in Norway. 4 or 6 lanes road isnt much at all. But there are some constructions, so the number is getting higher and higher for A class motorways/highways.


A class : 2 lanes on each side, which makes 4 in total. In Oslo there are some parts with 3 and 4 on each side. No traffic lights etc.

Speed limits up to: 100km/h

B class: 2 lanes with yellow stripe in the middle. Can be 4 lane, but can have normal crosses. These roads also got bigger lanes than normal roads.

Speed limits up to: 90km/h

We have so bad motorways because all the money has been spent by stupid politicians wanting to build bridges and tunnels in the small places they come from(usually western or northern Norway):ohno:Thats why I hate politicians - THOSE FUCKING ASSHOLES! :bash:

Some idiotic politicians from northern Jutland (Denmark) blackmailed the danish paliement to built a 60 km motorway from Ålborg to Hirtshals - an extremely unessecary prestige roject. :mad:

Some idiotic politicians from northern Jutland (Denmark) blackmailed the danish paliement to built a 60 km motorway from Ålborg to Hirtshals - an extremely unessecary prestige roject. :mad:

Really? When i drove there, there was quite some traffic. You don't want all those trucks through the existing towns. And motorways are much safer as other roads, so the traffic safety is also an issue perhaps.

Really? When i drove there, there was quite some traffic. You don't want all those trucks through the existing towns. And motorways are much safer as other roads, so the traffic safety is also an issue perhaps.In Denmark the amount of traffic must be at least 10.000 vehicles per day to built a new motorway, in Germany its 25.000, and I wonder what it is in Netherlands? I think the amount of traffic is far less than 10.000 vehicles per day on that stretch, which is far from justifying a motorway. There would have been a much cheaper solution IE: "omfartsveje" around the towns in connection with the existing road.

10.000 is nothing. Connecting roads in neighborhoods can reach that with ease. That's about 8 cars per minute on average, or 3,5 car per minute on a 24 hour basis. I'm sure the E39 reach that.

IMO there should be a barrier on both side of the lamp posts. Right now the posts are quite close to the road.
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/7236/18yx7.jpg

Wow, what a nature! Thanks for the pix, we don't have many from Norway, I wish we had more! Illumination all the way really surprised me!

http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/4379/20sr7.jpg
Ramps before the tunnel? Interesting.

http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/7628/46nw6.jpg
The upper sign suggests that the traffic is 2-way, but it's (still) 1-way!

http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/3161/43cq3.jpg
What's this car plate? Cuz I don't think it's Ljubljana. :D

Oh, and Marché rocks! :banana:

http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/3161/43cq3.jpg
What's this car plate? Cuz I don't think it's Ljubljana. :D


It would lack the crest though :) LJ means this vehicle is registrated in Tønsberg. (Town about 100 km south-west of Oslo)

Wow, what a nature! Thanks for the pix, we don't have many from Norway, I wish we had more! Illumination all the way really surprised me!


http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/3161/43cq3.jpg
What's this car plate? Cuz I don't think it's Ljubljana. :D

Tonsberg :)

Why is LJ Tønsberg? Anyway, go, Tønsberg! :nocrook:

Why is LJ Tønsberg? Anyway, go, Tønsberg! :nocrook:

Instead of matching licenseplate codes with town/region names, we use an alpabethical-geographical system up here; AA is as far south-east as you can get, ZZ is all the way up by the Russian border. Some exeptions though: EL is used by elektric powered vehicles, GA by gas powered vehicles, HY by Hydrogen powered vehicles and CD is used by diplomat vehicles.

Just a thing what comes in my mind now: why are the emergency lanes (if present) so narrow?

And does Norway have dynamic road management on some of its roads? (apart from the tunnels)

Just a thing what comes in my mind now: why are the emergency lanes (if present) so narrow?At least tunnels are wide. Damn, that was a nice trip, and the rainy/foggy weather makes it more mystic. Oh, thanks, Norsko. :cheers:

And does Norway have dynamic road management on some of its roads? (apart from the tunnels)

Do you mean like in the photos 15 or 16 in post 61? If so, yes we do (obviously :) ). Mainly close to or inside major towns and before major intersections. On the E 18 in Vestfold, were these photos are shot, there are quite a lot of signs like that cause of all the tunnels. In case of closed tunnels these signs will show the detour routes.

At least tunnels are wide. Damn, that was a nice trip, and the rainy/foggy weather makes it more mystic. Oh, thanks, Norsko. :cheers:

My pleasure, and yes, Norway is quite mystic during autumn :D

IMO there should be a barrier on both side of the lamp posts. Right now the posts are quite close to the road.
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/7236/18yx7.jpgNorwegians are not exactly known for efficiency. :lol:

the weirdest toll stations that i have ever seen! now i ask myself: are our toll stations with roofs and all the other things really neccessary? :lol:

the weirdest toll stations that i have ever seen! now i ask myself: are our toll stations with roofs and all the other things really neccessary? :lol:

Despite its few motorways, Norway kicks ass :D :cheers: ! I just love those simple, elegant and practical solutions that other people from other countries don't even think about! I guess the workers are reassigned from collecting tolls to inputting the car numbers in the computer.

Also I can't wait for the day when I will finally get there and take a cruise on the fjords! :)

the weirdest toll stations that i have ever seen! now i ask myself: are our toll stations with roofs and all the other things really neccessary? :lol:Haha, true, and you don't even have to pay, if you're by motorbike! :D

the weirdest toll stations that i have ever seen! now i ask myself: are our toll stations with roofs and all the other things really neccessary? :lol:Even weirder is it that their toll stations are placed on ordinary rural roads, instead of on motorways only. I have never seen that anywhere else - kinda crazy I think.

^^ Yeah, a lot of Norwegian roads are tolled from time to time. I must say, their infrastructure is so expensive, you have to pay for it, but why not a toll vignette like Switzerland?

I don't understand why the toll stations are weird, we have those all over the country. Are toll-stations other places manual only? We don't pay toll to employ loosers to sit there, we pay for better roads! The toll-roads around Oslo will soon be all automatic. If you try to drive through without paying, you'll get a hefty fine, atleast if it's a Norwegian car, don't know how it's solved for foreign licence plates.

Even weirder is it that their toll stations are placed on ordinary rural roads, instead of on motorways only. I have never seen that anywhere else - kinda crazy I think.

Yeah, that is a source of much debate many places. There can be more reasons for this. One is to avoid that people drive detours just to avoid paying. That could lead to small local roads beeing congested, but most importantly less income for the toll-station;) Another reason is that some for projects, collecting money via toll is started years before construction even begins. This is to reduce the cost of the projects, they need to loan less money, and the toll-station won't have to stand there for so many years. Most people that lives near these toll-stations are usually very much against this setup, naturally. This has led to a big rise in the populist party that is against all these toll-roads, Progress party. In Tønsberg for example, I think they got 40% in the last election.

I don't understand why the toll stations are weird, we have those all over the country. Are toll-stations other places manual only? We don't pay toll to employ loosers to sit there, we pay for better roads! The toll-roads around Oslo will soon be all automatic. If you try to drive through without paying, you'll get a hefty fine, atleast if it's a Norwegian car, don't know how it's solved for foreign licence plates.

i didn't mean to say anything negative about it. i just said that we are all got used to large toll stations with roofs, with a lot of lights, even cups with flowers (very common here) and i allways found it normal, but now i see that toll station can exist without all those things, and i have never been thinking about it!

(this about loosers who are sitting there and collecting the money is absolutely true :D but there is (actually, was) even worse - loosers who've been giving tickets while we didn't have automates for that :lol:

^Ahh, I see. Well, some more flowers wouldn't hurt, I guess. The station in Sande(in the photo) is relatively new, so it still looks rather ok, but the stations we have around Oslo is getting old, 17 years I think. Paint is falling off, and they are getting rusty. But as mentioned, they'll bee soon replaced.

btw, thanks igorlan for posting the photos. I've driven this piece of road and taken the bus many times, as I am from Kristiansand. But I've never taken any photos while driving. Come to think of it I've taken some photos from a bus once, 2-3 years ago iirc. I'll post some here soon :)

^^ Yeah, a lot of Norwegian roads are tolled from time to time. I must say, their infrastructure is so expensive, you have to pay for it, but why not a toll vignette like Switzerland?I like the Italian toll system best - works perfect! You get a ticket at the onramp, and pay for the amount of km you drove at the offramp.

I like the Italian toll system best - works perfect! You get a ticket at the onramp, and pay for the amount of km you drove at the offramp.

I like it too, but from the signs in the pictures above I understand that in Norway they take a snapshot of your car number and then send you the bill by mail - did I understand correctly? If so, I find it very convenient and practical. And the best thing: no traffic jams at toll booths!

Out of curiousity, are foreign-numbered cars handled in the same way?

(...) Out of curiousity, are foreign-numbered cars handled in the same way?

That is the thought, and since this system has been in use for some time, I guess it works out quite as it is supposed to. I have read in the news about some German cars getting away without paying though, something about the German police having other priorities (would you belive it ? :shocked: )

I like it too, but from the signs in the pictures above I understand that in Norway they take a snapshot of your car number and then send you the bill by mail - did I understand correctly? If so, I find it very convenient and practical. And the best thing: no traffic jams at toll booths!

Out of curiousity, are foreign-numbered cars handled in the same way?

but if thatßs so, why are there manual paying lanes? wouldnßt those be unneccessary?

but if thatßs so, why are there manual paying lanes? wouldnßt those be unneccessary?

The toll station with lanes for manual payment (photo 27 post 61) is situated on the E 18 motorway wich was constructed about ten years ago, the automatic toll station (photo 43 post 61) though, is just a couple of years old, built after this new payment system was developed and accommodated to the Norwegian Autopass system.

but if thatßs so, why are there manual paying lanes? wouldnßt those be unneccessary?

I guess they didn't get to replace all of them just yet. Obviously they need quite high resolution cameras in order to clearly capture the number on the plate, cameras which weren't exactly available until recently. Probably they will soon replace the "manual" toll booths with the new camera ones. They need to be improved especially if they are around big cities like Oslo .

An interesting thing would be to make a computer program that "reads" car numbers, so the system would be fully automated, but that's not exactly an easy task, it would involve pattern recognition and advanced statistics.

I guess they didn't get to replace all of them just yet. Obviously they need quite high resolution cameras in order to clearly capture the number on the plate, cameras which weren't exactly available until recently. Probably they will soon replace the "manual" toll booths with the new camera ones. They need to be improved especially if they are around big cities like Oslo .

An interesting thing would be to make a computer program that "reads" car numbers, so the system would be fully automated, but that's not exactly an easy task, it would involve pattern recognition and advanced statistics.

You are very right! In fact that was a major argument for changing our car licenseplates (the fonts) one year ago, so many bills were mailed the wrong persons because such cameras was not always able to differ the digits 0, 3, 6, 8 and 9 when captured in 90 - 130 km/h.

An interesting thing would be to make a computer program that "reads" car numbers, so the system would be fully automated, but that's not exactly an easy task, it would involve pattern recognition and advanced statistics.

That exists for many years in the Netherlands. Fines from fixed speed traps and stretch controles are fully automated. I think it exists elswhere too.

That exists for many years in the Netherlands. Fines from fixed speed traps and stretch controles are fully automated. I think it exists elswhere too.

Not here in Eastern Europe, that's for sure :) ! I had no idea there were such advanced systems in the Netherlands, or anywhere else for that matter :nuts: . You guys would probably have the best motorway system in the world if it were also adapted to current capacity!

That exists for many years in the Netherlands. Fines from fixed speed traps and stretch controles are fully automated. I think it exists elswhere too.

We ve got those speed traps everyehere! They stand closer (at least almost :) ) than light posts along our roads :weird:

^ they can be a pain in the ass sometimes.

Some photos from the bus Kristiansand-Oslo, taken with my old crappy camera a couple of years ago. It's not so much highway-photos, as it is view from the highway-photos, wich may not be so interesting in this forum.

Of the 330 km between Kristiansand and Oslo, only about 100 km is class A motorway(4 lanes), less than 100 km is class B motorway(2-3 lanes), and the rest is old roads in poor condition. In a few years, we'll have more than 50 km new class A motorway though.

Topdalsfjord in Kristiansand
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010015.jpg

Varodd-bridges in Kristiansand
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010016.jpg

Gas station at Lillesand, E18 on the left...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010031.jpg

Driving over a brigde in Telemark
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010050.jpg

Lake Farris at Larvik
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010052.jpg

This cafe is now abandoned, as a new motorway is under construction that will replace this piece of E18.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010054.jpg

Typical south-eastern Norway countryside
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010064.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010062.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010063.jpg

Finally on the motorway!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010065.jpg

Same cafe as shown by igorlan
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010066.jpg

Typical view
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010067.jpg

Same toll-station as shown by igorlan, only from the other side :)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010068.jpg

Drammen
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010074.jpg

Asker trainstation
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010080.jpg

The old IKEA before it got renovated
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010082.jpg

Sandvika, where I work
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010087.jpg

A special house
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010090.jpg

One of the countless office-buildings lying near E18 out of Oslo westwards. This is Tandberg HQ, I think.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010092.jpg

Another one, this is Software Innovation
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010093.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010095.jpg

At the toll-station in Oslo
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010096.jpg

At Skøyen
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010099.jpg

Mansions in western parts of Oslo, some used as embassies
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010104.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010103.jpg

Coming out of Festningstunnellen(the fortress tunnel)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010107.jpg

Oslo stock exhange
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010109.jpg

Oslo central station and Posthuset
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010110.jpg

On Bispelokket, a roundabout raised above E18
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010113.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/E18/P1010116.jpg

I hope they were of some interest

It's not so much highway-photos, as it is view from the highway-photos, wich may not be so interesting in this forum.

That's okay. Not only the road is interesting, but also the setting! :)

^^ Some of us (i.e., me! :D) are here on this forum as much for the actual motorways as for pictures of other places!

If you have more photos, do not hesitate to post them when you have time! :) Norway is such a beautiful country and, the more pictures, the better!

i allways remember the book Hitchhikers Guide to Galaxy when there is said something about creationing the world and the part where creators got full freedom is - Norway! fantastic terrain!!! and cities looks really nice, i really like those pix!!!

i allways remember the book Hitchhikers Guide to Galaxy when there is said something about creationing the world and the part where creators got full freedom is - Norway! fantastic terrain!!! and cities looks really nice, i really like those pix!!!

Hehe, the terrain between Kristiansand and Oslo is described as boring compared to most other parts of Norway ;)

Great pix again! I especially like those rough rocks by the road.

Hehe, the terrain between Kristiansand and Oslo is described as boring compared to most other parts of Norway ;)Then it's high-time to take camera in your hands and get going. ;)

Okay then;)

Here are some photos from E16, between Oslo and Bergen, that I took last summer.

On Filefjell
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer116.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer119.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer120.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer122.jpg

Down from Filefjell to Lærdal
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer125.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer127.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer130.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer132.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer135.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer136.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer137.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer138.jpg

Inside the world's longest tunnel(atleast for normal traffic), Lærdalstunnellen, 24.5km long.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer143.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer145.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer147.jpg

Torrential rain caused several earth-slides, and we had to wait for hours for the road to open again. For a while, there were rumours that some people were stuck inside some of the slides.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer150.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer152.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer153.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer154.jpg

A gravel road to the right of us here, had just been washed away...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer158.jpg

Bonus pics from the same trip, Bergen and Besseggen
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer229.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer040.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer060.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer081.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer077.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer082.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer089.jpg

^^ Beautiful. :) How many hours did it take you, considering you got stuck? And a couple of questions about the Lærdalstunnellen: what's the speed limit, and I've heard it lies on the main road between Oslo and Bergen (well, obviously you also used it), but to me it looks too north, isn't there another road more southerly and therefore shorter?

There is also the E134 from Oslo to Haugesund, but you have to take a ferry.

Aha, I thought so; so I suppose the E134 was the main road Oslo-Bergen before the tunnel was built. But I see there's a road also over the tunnel, so I guess it was possible to get to Bergen without taking a ferry already before. Am I right?

Yes, but they usually don't bother with people driving 10-20km/h faster than the limit on the high standard motorways, only on the roads of poorer standards, where there are more accidents.

I am sure, I've driven on the roads out of Oslo many times ;)

Yeah, traffic easilly go up to 100km/h-120km/h on the highways with speed limit 90km/h. But the police has taken many recently even on these roads (i think its ridicilous, more understandable in 60km/h and less).

A few/loads pics i have taken from different highways and roads in Norway, mostly in Trøndelag, or around Trondheim.

New E6 south of Trondheim.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Norway/P9290001small.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/cityw/Trondelag/P9290020small.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/cityw/Trondelag/P9290056small.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/cityw/Trondelag/P9290106small.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/cityw/Trondelag/P9290125small.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/cityq/Norway%20and%20Nature/PA080137small.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/cityq/Norway%20and%20Nature/PA080018smalla.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/cityq/Norway%20and%20Nature/PA080177small.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/cityw/Trondelag/P9140069small.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/cityw/Trondelag/P9020043small.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/cityw/Trondelag/P8060158small1.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/cityw/Trondelag/P8060170small.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/cityw/Trondelag/P8060161small.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/cityw/Trondelag/P8060015small.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/cityx/Augusttrip/DSCN4471small.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/cityx/Augusttrip/DSCN4519small5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/cityx/Augusttrip/DSCN4516small5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/cityx/Augusttrip/TrollstigenPanorama2small-1.jpg

Lærdalstunnellen, the world longest tunnel.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/cityx/Augusttrip/DSCN4566small.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/cityx/Augusttrip/DSCN4575small.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/cityq/JulyTrip/a6small.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/cityw/Trondelag/SteinkjerPanorama1small.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/cityw/Trondelag/DSCN7821small.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/cityw/Leksvik/DSCN6418small.jpg

Maybe not that many highway pics! ;)

Love this one...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/cityq/Norway%20and%20Nature/PA080137small.jpg

Norway photo boom! :D

How many hours did it take you, considering you got stuck?
We didn't drive the whole way in one day. And when I think of it, we didn't drive from Oslo either. We spent two nights near Besseggen, since we walked it, then we spent one night at some friends that lives on the place before Filefjell. The next day, we had planned to drive to Bergen, only to stop in Lærdal, where I have family. But because we stopped for 3-4 hours, we had to spend the night in Voss, before finally driving to Bergen the next day. I think it is possible to drive Oslo-Bergen in 7 hours, if you don't have any stops.


And a couple of questions about the Lærdalstunnellen: what's the speed limit
I think it is 80km/h.

But the police has taken many recently even on these roads
I haven't heard about any controlls on the 4 lane highways down here. Most people drive above the speedlimit on E6 towards Gardemoen and E18 in Vestfold. Many people, especially Audi-owners, drive 140-150 easily, and they get angry if you get in their way, even if you drive 120-130..



Btw, here are two photos from the trip back. This is 1/2 hour or so before entering the Lærdaltunnel driving from Bergen.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer263.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/northstar77/sommerferie%202006/sommer261.jpg

@Qazaq: amazing pictures! The nature in Norway seems so overwhelmingly beautiful. Damn, I would love to drive there once...

Can you tell us more about the exact locations of the pictures?

There is also the E134 from Oslo to Haugesund, but you have to take a ferry.

you can also use road 50 and 7 to come from Bergen to Oslo. in that case you're even not going too far to north. the other question is what is the condition of that road

@Qazaq: amazing pictures! The nature in Norway seems so overwhelmingly beautiful. Damn, I would love to drive there once...

Can you tell us more about the exact locations of the pictures?

Sorry for my late reply, here is a map and link to some of the photos.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/cityx/Other/Norwegianhighwaysexpl.jpg

1. Coastal roads (http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/cityw/Trondelag/P8060170small.jpg), this one going out to Stokkøya island.

2. A normal road (http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/cityw/Trondelag/P9020043small.jpg) if you happend to visit the village of Leksvik, where im currently living!

3. E6 south of Trondheim towards Oslo (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Norway/P9290001small.jpg)

4. Road from Ålen to Stuggudal (http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/cityw/Trondelag/P9290020small.jpg), a road going across some highlands towards the Sylene mountains, only open during summer.

5. E6 between Dovre mountains (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/cityq/Norway%20and%20Nature/PA080018smalla.jpg) and the alpine-town of Oppdal.

6. Main road (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/cityx/Augusttrip/DSCN4471small.jpg) down Sunndalen, from Oppdal to the town of Sunndalsøra.

7. Trollstigen (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/cityx/Augusttrip/TrollstigenPanorama2small-1.jpg), by far the most famous road in Norway, and a very popular tourist attraction. You should drive here, take "The Golden Rout" which will lead you through Trollstigen, and south to the world's most famous fjord, Geirangerfjorden where you will find roads which is very similar to Trollstigen with great climbs up across mountains etc. Highly recommended!

8. Road up to Juvasshytta (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/cityq/Norway%20and%20Nature/PA080137small.jpg). This is actually the highest road in Norway, going up to 1 841m Its only open during summer naturally, as there is a summer skiing restort on a glacier up there. If you want to drive up, expect a temperature difference as the road starts at 500m in the valley, and from there its constant uphill all the way up. A recommended place to go when you first are here!

9. Lærdalstunellen (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/cityx/Augusttrip/DSCN4566small.jpg), the world longest tunnel. You might drive through this one if you are going to Bergen.

Sorry for my late reply, here is a map and link to some of the photos.

Doesn't matter. Thanks for your comments anyway! :)

I can't believe that Norway doesn't spend some of its vast oil wealth on building better roads! Other countries would love to have this at their disposal to improve their infrastructure.

^^ Why when the market is good would they want to do this? Norway has the "oil fund" to tide it over for the future. What better thing to do than to save for a rainy day?

In a global downturn, investment in local infrastructure tends to offset joblessness and help buoy up the local economy so they are very wise to save for now.

It takes about 10 hours with car from Bergen to Oslo. Same from Oslo to Trondheim and Oslo to Stavanger.

With a bit luck ;) you can drive these distances in 6 hours or so. Some people loves to speedrace over Hardangervidda in the summertime etc. Then it takes shorter time.

Norway roads:
2 way roads without yellow stripe: 40%
2 way roads with yellow stripe in the middle: 30%
2 way highway with yellow stripe in the middle: 10%
4 way expressway: 10%
4 way highway: 10%

E6 for example, is a 2 lane road from Finmark to Trondheim. From Bergen to Oslo it`s only 6% is highway .. From Oslo to Stavanger only 20%, From Oslo to Trondheim 25%

If you want to drive between Stavanger and Bergen and Trondheim etc. Then its no highways at all. Maybe 2% as Bergen and Stavanger got some short 4 lane highways.

^^ Why when the market is good would they want to do this? Norway has the "oil fund" to tide it over for the future. What better thing to do than to save for a rainy day?

In a global downturn, investment in local infrastructure tends to offset joblessness and help buoy up the local economy so they are very wise to save for now.

A good infrastructure is also essential for a good economy, so it would be a very wise investment for Norway to improve roads, rail and other transport infrastructure. The resentment to building motorways is purely ideological and not based on any version of reality.

The main problem we have in Norway is a labor shortage. With an unemployment rate of 1.8% it's hard for the government to spend extensively on infrastructure without driving up wages and inflation. That is why we're not building more highways despite all our money.

Norway is not a transit country and in that i see the reason why they don't put too much on their motorways

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/cityx/Augusttrip/DSCN4519small5.jpg

http://larsvdloo.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/img_4755-custom.jpg

:cheers1:

^^ Man, that's cute! :D

It takes about 10 hours with car from Bergen to Oslo. Same from Oslo to Trondheim and Oslo to Stavanger.

With a bit luck ;) you can drive these distances in 6 hours or so. Some people loves to speedrace over Hardangervidda in the summertime etc. Then it takes shorter time.

Norway roads:
2 way roads without yellow stripe: 40%
2 way roads with yellow stripe in the middle: 30%
2 way highway with yellow stripe in the middle: 10%
4 way expressway: 10%
4 way highway: 10%

E6 for example, is a 2 lane road from Finmark to Trondheim. From Bergen to Oslo it`s only 6% is highway .. From Oslo to Stavanger only 20%, From Oslo to Trondheim 25%

If you want to drive between Stavanger and Bergen and Trondheim etc. Then its no highways at all. Maybe 2% as Bergen and Stavanger got some short 4 lane highways.

There is no doubt that Norwegian highways are crap by any standard, but especially when thinking about our GDP and the large need for good infrastructure we have in this 2000 km long country at the edge of the world.

However, Amidelf, you are exaggerating a bit here.

Firstly, you write highway when you probably mean motorway/freeway. (Small English course is given at the end of this message. ) And yes, there is a high way running along the Norwegian coast from Stavanger to Trondheim (E-39), although there are still many ferries and it is very narrow and winding at places.

Secondly, even with my mother in law in the back seat I would not need 10 hours between Oslo and Trondheim, more like 6 hours with mostly legal non-stop driving using the fastest route E6-Rv 3-E6 (Østerdalen). However, only roughly 10 % is actually motorway, with another almost 20 % being expressway. They have just started to upgrade most of the expressway to motorway, though.

To the fundamental question, why Norwegian roads are so bad, and probably will remain bad for years to come, the answer is quite complex, and I will have to wait to give a complete answer to that, but it has a lot to do with priorities, both among politicians and the public. However, it is a misunderstanding that building roads in Norway is particularly expensive. Granted, we do have to dig a lot of tunnels (current length of Norwegian tunnels roughly 850 km I believe) and build a lot of bridges (current total bridge length roughly 450 km?) to build good roads, and the fundations also have to be a lot deeper than further south due to the frost and because water tend to stay close to the surface many places. However, building roads are cheaper at desolate places, and cost per km in Norway is just a little bit over the European average, and much lower than for instance Denmark or UK. On the other hand, we need a lot more km per capita in Norway than those countries.....

Today's norsk-English course:
highway=hovedvei, f. eks. europavei, riksvei eller fylkesvei
freeway/motorway=motorvei (tidligere motorvei klasse A))

This is how it is!

small road - road with white stripes on the sides. Lots of them in Norway
normal road - normal roads with yellow stripes in the middle
expressway - 4 lane road. Something in between avenue and highway class A. You have them in Oslo. Like Ring 3.
highway class B - normal roads with yellow stripes in the middle, but with highway ramps on and off to the road. no traffic lights etc.
highway class A - 4 lane road. 2 lanes in each direction

then we have:
avenues - 2 or 4 lane roads. With either tram in the middler or just grass. Some sections between Svinesund and Oslo. Have blocks in the middle dividing the road. Makes it impossible to bypass.

There is no highway from Stavanger to Trondheim. Its normal road. Lots of small road parts and as you say ferries.


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Autoroute_F.svg/150px-Autoroute_F.svg.png
An International highway sign, found mainly in Europe denoting the start of special motorway restrictions to a section of highway.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Motortrafikled1.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/MMLNorr1.JPG
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/E20_2plus1_west_of_Skara.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a9/Alternating3rdlane.jpg
This is a typical class B highway. Sometimes it have 2 + 1 lane without divider, other times it got.

A two-lane freeway or two-lane expressway is a freeway or expressway with only one lane in each direction, and usually no median barrier. It may be built that way because of constraints, or may be intended for expansion once traffic volumes rise.

^^ Man, that's cute! :D

Never seen Lombard Street in San Francisco? :)

By the way, Lombard street looks cool only from that perspective, but if you get to drive it, there will be nothing ordinary (except the slope of the descent/ascent) about it.

This is how it is!

small road - road with white stripes on the sides. Lots of them in Norway
normal road - normal roads with yellow stripes in the middle
expressway - 4 lane road. Something in between avenue and highway class A. You have them in Oslo. Like Ring 3.
highway class B - normal roads with yellow stripes in the middle, but with highway ramps on and off to the road. no traffic lights etc.
highway class A - 4 lane road. 2 lanes in each direction

then we have:
avenues - 2 or 4 lane roads. With either tram in the middler or just grass. Some sections between Svinesund and Oslo. Have blocks in the middle dividing the road. Makes it impossible to bypass.

There is no highway from Stavanger to Trondheim. Its normal road. Lots of small road parts and as you say ferries.


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Autoroute_F.svg/150px-Autoroute_F.svg.png
An International highway sign, found mainly in Europe denoting the start of special motorway restrictions to a section of highway.

<some (mostly Norwegian) highway pictures
This is a typical class B highway. Sometimes it have 2 + 1 lane without divider, other times it got.

A two-lane freeway or two-lane expressway is a freeway or expressway with only one lane in each direction, and usually no median barrier. It may be built that way because of constraints, or may be intended for expansion once traffic volumes rise.

I suggest you consult a dictionary if you do not believe me (after living several years in English-speaking countries) when I say that the word "highway" just means a main road in English, as opposed to your driveway or residential street, and that it could have any standard, gravel even. Or as Merrian-Webster defines it:
Main Entry:
high·way
Pronunciation:
\ˈhī-ˌwā\
Function:
noun
Date:
before 12th century
: a public way; especially : a main direct road

I don't think there were many motorways back in the 12th century. There is by the way nothing called "Motorvei klasse A" or "Motorvei klasse B" anymore, they are called "Motorvei" and "Motortrafikkvei". This was due to the realization that Motorway "class B" was really not a motorway as most countries defines it, but it could pass as expressways. Most of them has a shoulder though, so I am not sure if your last picture is really "motortrafikkvei" or expressroad. The new definitions are quite similar to what you find in Sweden ("Motorväg" and "Motortrafikled" if I am not mistaken). As you point out, there are also some roads, mostly urban, that are not classified as motorways, but which are dual carriage (4 lanes or more with seperated traffic) and motorway-like intersections, like Østre Aker vei, Ring 3, some parts of E-18 and the Vålerenga tunnel road in Oslo, and the E6 going past Trondheim. In most countries these would probably be called motorways, so it would probably be right to call them highways with motorway characteristics.

I think the original meaning of "Avenue" is a road lined with trees. In the English speaking world of today it is however used in street names for any street, usually residential. The word has nothing to do with Norwegian highway standards whatsoever.

You can say what you want. But I found my sources on Wikipedia. So whatever you think and I think. We have different opinions about this. I have been in English speaking countries also.

Highway is as much as a motorway. So dont tell me any fuzz about whats right or wrong here ;p

^^ I am just trying to help you out so people actually can understand what you are writing. Not that I consider wikipedia as an authority (neither should you, keep to dictionaries and real encyclopedias), but wikipedia presents these roads as examples of highways:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Indiana-rural-road.jpg/800px-Indiana-rural-road.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/bc/Pan-American_Highway-Mancora%2C_Peru.jpg/200px-Pan-American_Highway-Mancora%2C_Peru.jpg
Now, are these motorways? Of course, all motorways are highways, but far from all highways are motorways.

Edit: Now I understand what you mean. You are thinking about the motorway sign. Well, it says that the sign is an International highway sign for motorway, just like this http://www.75b.luna.nl/BumpyRoad.gif is an international highway sign for bumpy road and this http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1285000/images/_1286984_cattle.150.jpg is an international highway sign for cattle on the road. You get it?

To confuse you guys even more: Here are the official profiles as of 2007 to be applied in new projects on the main (i.e. interregional) highways in Norway:
http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/9817/s1axh3.jpg
S1: ADT< 4 000, 60 km/h
http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/552/s1bs2s3xs3.jpg
(S1: 4 000 < ADT 12 000, 60 km/h) & (S2: ADT < 4 000, 80 km/h) & (S3: ADT < 4 000, 90 km/h)
http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/9922/s4dg2.jpg
S4: 4 000 < ADT < 8 000, 80 km/h, expressway (motortrafikkvei)
http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/3466/s5wi6.jpg
S5: 8 000 < ADT < 12 000, 90 km/h, expressway (motortrafikkvei)
http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/9600/s5forbipf3.jpg
Passing lane for S5
http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/1567/s5forbi2wf2.jpg
Passing lanes in both directions for S5
http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/8012/s6cf0.jpg
S6: ADT > 12 000, 60 km/h
http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/3182/s7it3.jpg
S7: ADT > 12 000, 80 km/h, motorway
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/3931/s8smal.png
S8: 12 000< ADT < 20 000, 100 km/h, motorway
http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/8606/s9gs8.jpg
S8: ADT > 20 000 , 100 km/h, motorway (there are talks about increasing the speed limit to 110 km/h for these roads)

ADT numbers are to be estimated 30 years ahead of time (i.e. 30 years life time is used), but the prognoses they are using have been notorious in the past in underestimating the traffic growth, and are more an expression of political wishful thinking than reality. For high traffic roads (i.e. in Oslo, Stavanger, Bergen and Trondheim) more than 4 lanes are of course considered. The lower classes, i.e. S1, S6 and S7 are to be used only in urban areas or other places where there may be environmental or other restrictions. There are of course also many other differences between the standards, but there is no point in going into detail here...

The problem is, that a very small percentage of the current Norwegian roads keep to this standard, and with the current funding, it will take 50 years to get there.

54°26′S 3°24′E is right, a highway is just any road that's the main road between two destinations. It can be a normal, two-lane road or it can be a full-on motorway with restricted access and grade-separated intersections.

Not that it matters, the roads and most other transport infrastructure in Norway are still shit.

all motorways are highwaysI even think it's possible to say that not ALL motorways are highways, if there's a motorway that really isn't important. Now, you probably wonder why they would build a motorway, if it's not important. Well, I don't have a clue, but it may happen (and I'm sure there's plenty of examples like this in the world) that a motorway just became unimportant after a while, or maybe because of some unusual event.

I don't think there are a lot of completely useless motorways. However i'm not sure why the hell they build the A571 and A573 near Bad Neuenahr in Germany. The roads don't even connect with it's parent number (A5 or A57).

^ I certainly wouldn't call these two 'highways'. :) About that street in SF: I think I've already seen it, but probably just once, and I didn't know where to put it.

I don't think any of the posters have been 100% right about the word "highway". The official definition is indeed any road. However, the common usage of the word differs significantly from place to place. In the US and Canada, the words "freeway" and "highway" are often used to refer to motorways. In Toronto, if people say they will "take the highway", it means that they will take the motorway, even though we also have a network of provincial highways, most of which are not motorways. We also have some expressways in the city that function as streets but have names such as "Highway 7". But still, if one uses the word "highway" without specifying a specific highway number, the meaning is "motorway" (in Toronto, it usually means a 400-series highway). The word "motorway" is actually not used at all in North America, and I never heard it used here, nor have I ever used it in speech, except for this forum.

Even in different US states people refer to highways/freeways differently. In California, almost everyone refers to motorways as "freeways", but I have heard that in the East, they almost exclusively use word "highway" for both ordinary highways and motorways. Even in Washington, they sometimes call I-90 a highway. In British Columbia, locals told me to take "Highway 1" when they meant Trans-Canada Highway which is in fact a motorway in Vancouver Metro area.

I usually refer to "motorways" as in freeway, autopista, autobahn, expressway etc. So roads or highways with motorway-standards. In US topics, i'd rather use the word Freeway or expressway, since the word "motorway" isn't used in the United States.

I refer to other roads as "highway" or just "road".

i use motorway (i prefer british english) for autobahn.
highway is for me more important road, something like some kind of arteria, which connects some larger distances. it is not neccesserly a motorway (autobahn).

I don't think any of the posters have been 100% right about the word "highway". The official definition is indeed any road. However, the common usage of the word differs significantly from place to place. In the US and Canada, the words "freeway" and "highway" are often used to refer to motorways. In Toronto, if people say they will "take the highway", it means that they will take the motorway, even though we also have a network of provincial highways, most of which are not motorways. We also have some expressways in the city that function as streets but have names such as "Highway 7". But still, if one uses the word "highway" without specifying a specific highway number, the meaning is "motorway" (in Toronto, it usually means a 400-series highway). The word "motorway" is actually not used at all in North America, and I never heard it used here, nor have I ever used it in speech, except for this forum.
Well, it's no news that people may be a bit sloppy when they talk. It doesn't make it right though. I think the cause of much of the confusion regarding this, is that an important part of the US highway network, the interstate highways, per definition are freeways. But still the majority (federal, state and county highways) are generally not freeways. BTW, can you call a toll road a freeway? (The places I have lived in the US have had no toll roads). After all, they are not free, and these projects in the US are usually for some reason called either parkways (although they are no good neither for use as a park or parking) or the even more mysterious turnpike. Well, to avoid any confusion I will stick to motorway regarding Norway at least...

This is the 30 year (!) plan of the Norwegian high way authorities regarding the motorway network:
http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/8424/firefeltsstrategiiq9.jpg
Red roads will be at least 22 m, whereas yellow will be 19 m. However, as I said, it will take 50 years to get there with the current funding (including upgrade of the gray roads to one of those standards

Currently, the sorry state of Norwegian highways is this:
http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/4864/b7mic6.jpg
Roads indicated in red are interregional highways ("stamveger") with less than 7 m width!
http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/4092/b6mum0.jpg
This map shows points or stretches with less than 6 m width!

There are of course some people that push for a little bit more than the road authorities. A group called bilaksjonen (http://www.bilaksjonen.no) and some people behind the site bedreveier.no (http://www.bedreveier.no) are pushing for this motorway network in Norway:
http://www.bedreveier.org/motorvei-den-doble-y-50pst.jpg.
They call it "The double Y", and is roughly 2000 km long. So far the only supportive party however is the rightwing "Fremskrittspartiet", and unfortunately the rest of their policies are shit :bash:

The problem in Norway is that investment in roads are not seen as an investment, but an expense. I think Norway should now really focus on their transport infrastructure, both roads and railway, so that we can save more lives and be less dependent on air transport. Hardly any nation flies more than Norway today.

Well that was the plan and an ambition. What about the dreamer? Well, I found this on the internet:
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/77/drommerht0.jpg
Clearly, this is a wet dream of any Norwegian freeway fantast! The coastal road Stavanger-Bergen-Trondheim will be very demanding to build (currently I believe there are 7 ferry crossings on this road), but would probably result in a quite spectacular road. Local politicians are by the way already pushing to remove at least three of these ferries, but I can come back to that later. Personally, I don't think I would have prioritized quite like that guy. For instance, one of the most important interregional roads in Norway today, the Rv 3 which is the road the trucks use between Oslo and Trondheim and beyond, is with all the other freeways in place still a normal two-lane road!

http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/8424/firefeltsstrategiiq9.jpg

This image is saying stamveg and not motorvei. I think your out in the woods talking about whats wrong or not. People usually use the words that they feel is right. There might be grammar talks everywhere.. but almost no one uses them.

People understands each others and thats whats most important. To try to learn adults how to write or talk is just wrong. People talks in different ways. Lech Walensa in Poland is critisized for having bad Polish, but the others who dosent care about that, but rather what he have done for eastern Europe etc. It dosent matter.

Let people learn by themself.

It's not criticism, it's just pointing out when someone says banana when they actually mean pumpkin. There are no doubts about the meanings of highway and motorway.

Back on topic; that 30 year plan is not very ambitious. Three of the ten most-trafficked air routes in Europe is in little Norway; I wonder why? It's not because people are so fond of flying, it's because it's the only alternative. In this regard Norway is like a little piece of America in Europe, only the motorways are even worse. Sane politicians are making a big mistake letting those populistic loons in FrP taking advantage of the situation.

Does anyone know the AADT (annual average daily traffic) of the (only?) border crossing with Russia? Of course, an AADT map of the whole Norway would be even better. :D

Well, it's no news that people may be a bit sloppy when they talk. It doesn't make it right though. I think the cause of much of the confusion regarding this, is that an important part of the US highway network, the interstate highways, per definition are freeways. But still the majority (federal, state and county highways) are generally not freeways. BTW, can you call a toll road a freeway? (The places I have lived in the US have had no toll roads). After all, they are not free, and these projects in the US are usually for some reason called either parkways (although they are no good neither for use as a park or parking) or the even more mysterious turnpike. Well, to avoid any confusion I will stick to motorway regarding Norway at least...

It doesn't really have much to do with sloppiness. The exact definitions of the words "highway" and "road" are really only important in legal contexts, i.e. only in official documentation. It is simply a fact that at least here in Toronto, the word "highway" is most commonly used to refer to a motorway.

Regarding "freeways", it is a quite common misconception, but even if you look at the strictly official definition, a freeway does not have to be free of tolls. A freeway, by definition, is a limited-access, divided road. The word "free" in this context refers to something like "free of intersections". In fact, one website (gbcnet.com) has this interesting excerpt: "The "free" in freeway instead refers to a legislative definition passed by the California Legislature in 1939 which provided for a highway that would be free of encroaching properties and which provided for control of access." In fact, this is probably why, as Alex von Konigsberg has mentioned, "freeway" is used extensively in California, but not necessarily in other states.

But nonetheless, I agree, this has nothing to do with this thread, so I am not going to continue :).

This is the 30 year (!) plan of the Norwegian high way authorities regarding the motorway network:
http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/8424/firefeltsstrategiiq9.jpg


Are they kidding? There's hardly any change! I hope this "plan" will change very soon.

I can imagine there's no need for a complete network of 4-lane motorways in Norway. But improving 2-lane highways to motorroads (or something like that) with few or no grade intersections, fewer curves and a higher speed limit (like in Germany or even on some stretches in Holland where you're allowed to drive 100km/h) has to possible, I guess.

This image is saying stamveg and not motorvei. I think your out in the woods talking about whats wrong or not. People usually use the words that they feel is right. There might be grammar talks everywhere.. but almost no one uses them.

You are right. The map is showing the proposed standards for the "stamveg"s in Norway. "Stamveg" is a bureaucratic term used for a road that connects one region of Norway to the other, and the map shows them all. However, if you look at the profiles above, a 4-lane stamveg shall also be a motorway according to the standards. This is the case for the roads drawn in yellow and red.

My point was not to correct the grammar, but that people who are not familiar to Norway should understand what you write, which should also be in your interest. (Please also correct me if I my message could be misunderstood). The way you put it it sounded like there was almost no roads outside the Oslo-area. I could perhaps have used the "private messages" system instead, though, and thus avoided all the fuss, but I am new, so I wasn't familiar with this system.
[/QUOTE]


Back on topic; that 30 year plan is not very ambitious.

Especially considering:
1. Only two regions are connected with 4-lane roads, Eastern Norway and the small southern Norway (Sørlandet).
2. There was an almost identical plan in the 1960s, that was to be implented within 1980. Now, almost 50 years later the horizont for this is still 30 years ahead...
3. Actually, during the occupation, the Germans laid out a detailed plan for a real Autobahn in 1942 between Oslo and Trondheim going through Østerdalen. This road should serve the "Neu Drontheim" project I guess, where the Germans planned to establish a new city of 350 000 inhabitants right outside the old city to support their extensive navy bases in the Trondheim fjord. Luckily, "Neu Drontheim" never materialized, but it would be great to have the road, though....
Does anyone know the AADT (annual average daily traffic) of the (only?) border crossing with Russia? Of course, an AADT map of the whole Norway would be even better. :D
Check http://svvgw.vegvesen.no/http://svvnvdbappp.vegvesen.no:7778/webinnsyn/anon/index. It's all in Norwegian, but you get the data you need by ticking off "Trafikkmengde" in the "Trafikkdata" menu at the left. The particular road you are asking about looks like it still has AADT<500 though, although I believe it has increased a lot from what it used to be (i.e. nil). Actually, Kirkenes is trying to position itself as a harbor that could service the planned offshore oil development on the Russian side. Their work would be greatly eased, however, if the Russian railway 40-50 km away could be extended to the Norwegian port.

Edit: You need to zoom in quite a bit to get access to the trafic data.
It is simply a fact that at least here in Toronto, the word "highway" is most commonly used to refer to a motorway.

That would probably not be the case though, if you lived in an area far from the closest freeway (which I have done in the US).

Regarding "freeways", it is a quite common misconception, but even if you look at the strictly official definition, a freeway does not have to be free of tolls. A freeway, by definition, is a limited-access, divided road. The word "free" in this context refers to something like "free of intersections". In fact, one website (gbcnet.com) has this interesting excerpt: "The "free" in freeway instead refers to a legislative definition passed by the California Legislature in 1939 which provided for a highway that would be free of encroaching properties and which provided for control of access."

I suspected this was the case, so I guess it's only due to fear of ridicule that politicians never dear to name new toll roads as freeways, but rather parkways, turnpikes, distributor, and thruways etc.
Are they kidding? There's hardly any change! I hope this "plan" will change very soon.
I hope so too, but the plan would still probably double the length of motorways in Norway, in about 50 years.....
I can imagine there's no need for a complete network of 4-lane motorways in Norway. But improving 2-lane highways to motorroads (or something like that) with few or no grade intersections, fewer curves and a higher speed limit (like in Germany or even on some stretches in Holland where you're allowed to drive 100km/h) has to possible, I guess.
Actually, economists have calculated that a (4-lane) motorway network connecting the population centers in the southern half of Norway would save 62 billion NOK (8.2 billion Euros or 11.5 billion USD) a year, and many lives. The ballpark figure of much it would cost to build the 2000 km double-y-network that would connect 90 % of the population of southern Norway is 100 billion NOK. Even is this estimate, which is based on costs of recent Swedish motorways ++, is off by a factor of two, this would be a very good investment. To illustrate what these figures means in real terms for Norway:

*62 billion NOK is twice the Norwegian defense budget
*The cost of a recent offshore development finnished this year (Ormen Lange) was 66 billion NOK. There are many of these...
*The projected SURPLUS of the Norwegian national budget of 2007 is 375 billion NOK
*At the end of next year, the Norwegian government will have roughly 2 500 billion NOK invested in funds abroad.

New research has also shown that as new roads in the cities usually mean larger emission due to increased traffic, this is not true for interregional roads. Traveling frequency seems relatively unaffected by road standard. Thus, enhanced interregional roads will greatly reduce emissions because fuel efficiency is very low in the often clogged and almost always winding Norwegian roads.

I however also support the development of a high speed train network in Norway, which the current government seems to support, since this will greatly reduce our dependence on air-travel on point-to-point travel between the cities, as discussed by MaxxPower above. The estimated cost of such a network is 200-300 billion NOK for southern Norway. However, these trains can only make a few stops, and cannot serve the whole country, a family on their trip to their cabin, or, most importan, the truck traffic.

I realize that the biggest hurdle is not money, but getting enough hands to build the infrastructure. However, I believe this is a matter of priority, and the use of foreign construction companies would probably ease the inflationary pressure. In any case the projections are that there will be even less hands in the future, so there won't come a "better" time.

3. Actually, during the occupation, the Germans laid out a detailed plan for a real Autobahn in 1942 between Oslo and Trondheim going through Østerdalen. This road should serve the "Neu Drontheim" project I guess

Ein Neu-Drontheim für Neuropa. I guess they should've stayed on a bit longer to build some proper roads..

(disregard)

There is a road to the Nordkapp yes. But don't expect motorway-like roads. The roads are very quiet, Norway is large and has only a population of 4.3 million. Especially north of Trondheim.

But the usual road from Europe to the Nordkapp is through Sweden and Finland, because that's shorter.
I hope I am not offending any more people here, but driving through the huge forests Northern Finland and Sweden is not my kind of fun, and Nordkapp (North Cape) is a tourist trap. I mean, the cliff is nice enough, but it's not that special compared with many other places in Norway, and you have to pay a large sum to share the view with loads of German and Japanes tourist buses. And on top of it all: It's not even the northernmost point in Norway!

If I was coming from continental Europe on my one and only great trip of the northern Scandinavia I would certainly take it easy and follow the Norwegian coast as long as my money and time last, then use the excellent Finnish and Swedish highways back home. I would rather spend time in southern Sweden than in Lappland.
Ein Neu-Drontheim für Neuropa. I guess they should've stayed on a bit longer to build some proper roads..
Well, the problem was of course the "slightly" unethical way the nazis excersized their construction projects. Even the much less ambitious (but still substantial) projects they did complete cost the life of at least 15 000 POWs from Eastern Europe, mostly Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, in comparison "only" 10 000 Norwegians (including Norwegian Jews) died during the occupation.

But the usual road from Europe to the Nordkapp is through Sweden and Finland, because that's shorter.Really? IIRC, Slovenian agencies offer it driving in Norway all the time in one direction, and visiting Santa Claus in Rovaniemi (Finland) in the other. :lol: But I don't like the gap by Tyssfjorden; will it ever get bridged or bypassed?

Really? IIRC, Slovenian agencies offer it driving in Norway all the time in one direction, and visiting Santa Claus in Rovaniemi (Finland) in the other. :lol: But I don't like the gap by Tyssfjorden; will it ever get bridged or bypassed?

If I remember correctly, it was a relatively long ride with a small ferry. This sentence explains it all. Long ride - very expensive to bypass; small ferry - low traffic. :)

Really? IIRC, Slovenian agencies offer it driving in Norway all the time in one direction, and visiting Santa Claus in Rovaniemi (Finland) in the other. :lol: But I don't like the gap by Tyssfjorden; will it ever get bridged or bypassed?

There are as still many fjord-crossings left to do in Norway, many places the problem is that fjords are deep (typically 300-1000 m) and that they could be several km wide, making bridging impossible and tunnels quite expensive. I might come back to some of the bigger proposed projects later on. What I can say about Tyssfjord is that it currently is not on top of the list. Although it would symbolically finally connect the road network of the northernmost counties to the rest of the country, the traffic is quite low, and most traffic from northernmost to south Norway will still drive through Finland and Sweden because it is both shorter and faster (remember that Kirkenes is further east than Instanbul!). However, a project that is more likely to be built in a few years is a bridge across Rombakfjorden a few km longer north:
Video: mms://showtime.modulnet.com/haalogalandsbrua/Haalogalandsbrua_Virtual_Tour.wmv
http://www.haalogalandsbrua.no/bildearkiv/bilde_1_2_web.jpg
http://www.haalogalandsbrua.no/bildearkiv/bilde_1_7_web.jpg
http://www.haalogalandsbrua.no/bildearkiv/bilde_4_16_web.jpg
The bridge will be the 7th longest suspension bridge in the world, with a total length of 1550 m and largest span of 1345 m. However, by separating the lanes, I guess, and thus making it stiffer, they manage to keep the cost down to 2 billion kroner. I am not convinced it is worth paying that much for shorting the E6 up there with only 20 km, though...

As a Norwegian I resist the idea of Santa Claus being Finnish. St. Nicholas belongs in Turkey, however the Yule-"nisse" (as we call the guy in red outfit) belongs in Norway as all other "nisser":banana:

^ Actually, they visit Norwegian Santa. :D

I've just had a small calculation: from the Norwegian-Swedish border between Göteborg and Oslo to the Norwegian-Russian border between Kirkenes and Murmansk (if you drive only in Norway) it's exactly 2,555 km. :)

Also, don't forget Hardangerbrua, unless its already posted somewhere in this thread.

Here is a outtake from the Norwegian Project and Construction thread in Scandinavian & Baltic sunforum.

>> Hardangerbrua
Location: County|Hordaland > City|Ulvik/Eidfjord

The longest suspension bridge in Norway, and one of the 10 longest in the world by span. Hardangerbrua was approved in 2006, ten years after it was cancelled the first time. Construction of the bridge will start in April/May 2008, while the construction of the tunnels leading to the bridge was started in March 2007. When the bridge is completed in early 2011 it will be 1380m long, with the main span been 1 310m long (30m longer than the main span of Golden Gate in San Francisco. With the longest span in Norway, and one of the tallest towers, two 186m tall bridge tower this project is not going to be cheap. Total cost is estimated to around 1.9 billion kroner, thats without the 2.4km of tunnel leading out to the bridge and another 0.8km of road needed to be built.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/cityx/Architecture/Hardangerbrua1.jpg

More renderings, click to enlarge!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/cityx/Other/Hardangerbrua5mini.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/cityx/Architecture/Hardangerbrua5.jpg) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/cityx/Other/Hardangerbrua4mini.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/cityx/Architecture/Hardangerbrua4.jpg) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/cityx/Other/Hardangerbrua2mini.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/cityx/Architecture/Hardangerbrua2.jpg) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/cityx/Other/Hardangerbrua3mini.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/cityx/Architecture/Hardangerbrua3.jpg)

As a Norwegian I resist the idea of Santa Claus being Finnish. St. Nicholas belongs in Turkey, however the Yule-"nisse" (as we call the guy in red outfit) belongs in Norway as all other "nisser":banana:

The nisse (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomte) is a shared element in Scandinavian folklore.

Also, don't forget Hardangerbrua, unless its already posted somewhere in this thread.

Thanks for the cool renderings.

One important difference between Hardangerbrua and the proposed Hålogalandsbrua (the Rombakfjord bridge) I mentioned above is that the Hardangerbrua project is actually under construction, whereas there is no decision regarding Hålogalandsbrua yet, although the people up there usually get what they ask for...

I only mentioned bridge because it is in the same region, and on the same highway (E6) as the Tyssfjord ferry.

BTW, from other posts I see that you come from the Fosen peninsula at the north shor of the Trondheimfjord right across from Trondheim. What is your view on the recent (renewed) discussion on various tunnels solutions under "your" fjord?

Thanks for the cool renderings.

One important difference between Hardangerbrua and the proposed Hålogalandsbrua (the Rombakfjord bridge) I mentioned above is that the Hardangerbrua project is actually under construction, whereas there is no decision regarding Hålogalandsbrua yet, although the people up there usually get what they ask for...

I only mentioned bridge because it is in the same region, and on the same highway (E6) as the Tyssfjord ferry.

BTW, from other posts I see that you come from the Fosen peninsula at the north shor of the Trondheimfjord right across from Trondheim. What is your view on the recent (renewed) discussion on various tunnels solutions under "your" fjord?

My guess is that Hålogalandsbrua will for sure be built it we actually go for the Olympics in Tromsø in 2018.

Surprised over your knowledge of Fosen, a forgotten corner of Norway! :D
Tunnel across Trondheimsfjorden would of course be the most perfect solution for us living here, especially for the industry here in Vanvikan and Leksvik which has a major potensial as its already doing really well (the biggest issue they face is the fjord-crossing!). So a tunnel would save us, especially now as it looks like Ørland Hovedflystasjon moves away, which will be a doomsday for both Ørlandet and Bjugn.

But a tunnel beneath Trondheimsfjorden, or a floating tunnel as many sais is the only option (as the fjord is probably too deep to go beneath with a tunnel), it will become so expencive that we will have to drive through tolls for the rest of our lifes, and considering our population on 25 000, where both Roan, Osen and Mosvik pluss many in Leksvik uses Namsos/Steinkjer, and im not sure if we would get that much support from many bigger investors, and there is no way Fosen alone can finance it, as we're just about to start spending a billion Kroner on upgrading the roads here.

So a floating tunnel will remind as the dream for the future, now i hope we actaually manage to get the new ferries in order, and on the new location between Vanvikan and Trondheim (instead of Flakk-Rørvik). See a video about that project here:

8FDekg_Mjc8

By the way, a few pics taken today from highways south of Trondheim. Pretty snowy though.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/cityw/Trondelag/PB100017small.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/cityw/Trondelag/PB100048small.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/cityw/Trondelag/PB100032small.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/cityw/Trondelag/PB100037small.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/cityw/Trondelag/PB100042small.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/cityw/Trondelag/PB100046small.jpg

My guess is that Hålogalandsbrua will for sure be built it we actually go for the Olympics in Tromsø in 2018.

This bridge could very well be built, and Tromsø sure needs infrastructure upgrades (as well as heavy investments in almost everything else) in order to cope with winter olympic games. However, I don't see how shortening the trip from Tromsø to Narvik from 250 to 230 km would be of any help for a WOG.

Surprised over your knowledge of Fosen, a forgotten corner of Norway! :D
Tunnel across Trondheimsfjorden would of course be the most perfect solution for us living here, especially for the industry here in Vanvikan and Leksvik which has a major potensial as its already doing really well (the biggest issue they face is the fjord-crossing!). So a tunnel would save us, especially now as it looks like Ørland Hovedflystasjon moves away, which will be a doomsday for both Ørlandet and Bjugn.

But a tunnel beneath Trondheimsfjorden, or a floating tunnel as many sais is the only option (as the fjord is probably too deep to go beneath with a tunnel), it will become so expencive that we will have to drive through tolls for the rest of our lifes, and considering our population on 25 000, where both Roan, Osen and Mosvik pluss many in Leksvik uses Namsos/Steinkjer, and im not sure if we would get that much support from many bigger investors, and there is no way Fosen alone can finance it, as we're just about to start spending a billion Kroner on upgrading the roads here.

It is true that a tunnel straight over across from Trondheim would have to be a floating tunnel because the fjord is too deep here. The problem is however that the cost of such a project is an unknown, as not even a small scale tunnel of this type has been attempted yet, and I believe the Trondheim fjord would be quite demanding, as the current is quite strong and you probably cannot anchor the bridge at the bottom very well since there is a thick layer of gravel/sand/clay at the bottom.

What I was referring to was however the two projects that have been proposed recently. One is a tunnel at the mouth of the Trondheim fjord (Agdenes-(possibly Bjugn)-Brekstad), that seems to be supported by the local politicians of those places. I do not believe much in this project, as the traffic would probably be quite low, but still the tunnel would be quite long (15 km?) and record deep (500 m).

The other suggestion is from the conservatives in Trondheim (Brox), to pick up a plan from 1988 for a Trondheim-Frosta-Fosen-tunnel, with a landing somewhere between Leksvik and Vanvikan. I got the following crappy copy from a newspaper from a friend:
http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/5049/trondheimsfjordtunnel2bt5.jpg
The drawing is not very accurate because:
1. The fjord depths (but not the tunnel depths) have probably been multiplied by a factor of two.
2. The costs are just a guess. A 2+2 project with similar length (around 25 km) and depth in south-western Norway (Rogfast) has been estimated to 4,8-6,8 billion NOK. The Fosen tunnel probably won't have to be built with four lanes all the way, though.

Now, why is this project worthwhile even thinking about? Because, this tunnel will potentially have higher traffic than any other long tunnel in Norway. Firstly, the southern leg (Trondheim-Frosta) can be a part of a rerouting of the E6, shortening the distance between Trondheim and the towns of northern Trøndelag (central Norway) with 20 km. Even with the road authorities' moderate plan shown above, the E6 between Trondheim to Steinkjer is to be expanded to a 4 lane motorway, which surely will cost billions anyway. The tunnel continuing to Fosen will not have that much traffic, but despite Fosen's low population, the Flakk-Rørvik-ferry which this tunnel may substitute, already is the third busiest ferry in Norway, and there is a great push to substitute the two busiest ferry routes (Oslofjorden Moss-Horten and Boknafjord MORTAVIKA-ARSVÅGEN), as well as some significantly less trafficated ferries (Rygfast, for instance) with similar huge tunnel projects.

For reference, here is the 2006 traffic numbers for the busiest ferries routes in Norway:
1. MOSS-HORTEN (Oslofjorden) 10.5 km AADT: 3598
2. MORTAVIKA-ARSVÅGEN (Boknafjorden) 8.0 km AADT: 2588
3. FLAKK-RØRVIK (Trondheimsfjorden) 7.2 km AADT: 1982
(in addition the high speed passenger ferries of the Fjord have several hundred thousand passengers each year)
..
..
yy. BRURAVIK - BRIMNES (being eliminated by the 2 billion NOK Hardanger bridge) 2.4 km AADT: 1001
..
..
xx. BOGNES-SKARBERGET (Tyssfjord) 8.3 AADT: 386 (as I said, eliminating the ferry here would largely be a symbolic task)

Relevant AADT:
E6 Åsen (relevant for (3 billion NOK?) Trondheim-Frosta-tunnel): > 7000
E6 Rombakfjorden (relevant for 2 billion NOK Hålogaland bridge): < 2000
E16 Lærdalstunnelen (longest road tunnel in the world, 24.5 km): AADT: 1600

If you just add the AADT of today (all of which increases by 6-10 % each year), the Fosen tunnel will have a traffic of 9 000 AADT (i.e. 6 times the traffic of Lærdal) on the 15 km Trondheim-Frosta leg, and roughly 2 000 (a bit mor than Lærdal) on the 10 km Frosta-Fosen leg, not including the transfer of traffic from today's high speed passanger ferries, and possibly transfer of traffic from other routes across the fjord. There is no chance that any other long submarine tunnel project in Norway will come close to such traffic numbers as the Trondheim-Frosta tunnel, and this will help finance as well as possibly getting political support for the project.

However, I think a tunnel will open up the eyes of the roughly 250 000 people living in Trondheim and surrounding municipalities for the potential of Fosen as a weekend/holiday home destination as well. In addition, the attractive and sunny areas around tunnel openings both in Frosta and Fosen will become popular "suburbs" of Trondheim, which surely will boost the traffic a lot.

BTW: I have lived in Trondheim several years in the past, and I still visit the city a couple of times each year. However, like for most "Trondhjemmers", Fosen makes a nice view from the city, but is otherwise a largely unknown territory. A tunnel will probably change that.

So a floating tunnel will remind as the dream for the future, now i hope we actaually manage to get the new ferries in order, and on the new location between Vanvikan and Trondheim (instead of Flakk-Rørvik). See a video about that project here:

It seems like this idea is killed by Trondheim municipaly, they simply don't want all the cars injected into the already congested roads of central Trondheim.

By the way, a few pics taken today from highways south of Trondheim. Pretty snowy though.

I am very envious, no snow here!

It is true that a tunnel straight over across from Trondheim would have to be a floating tunnel because the fjord is too deep here. The problem is however that the cost of such a project is an unknown, as not even a small scale tunnel of this type has been attempted yet, and I believe the Trondheim fjord would be quite demanding, as the current is quite strong and you probably cannot anchor the bridge at the bottom very well since there is a thick layer of gravel/sand/clay at the bottom.


What I was referring to was however the two projects that have been proposed recently. One is a tunnel at the mouth of the Trondheim fjord (Agdenes-(possibly Bjugn)-Brekstad), that seems to be supported by the local politicians of those places. I do not believe much in this project, as the traffic would probably be quite low, but still the tunnel would be quite long (15 km?) and record deep (500 m).

The other suggestion is from the conservatives in Trondheim (Brox), to pick up a plan from 1988 for a Trondheim-Frosta-Fosen-tunnel, with a landing somewhere between Leksvik and Vanvikan. I got the following crappy copy from a newspaper from a friend:

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/5049/trondheimsfjordtunnel2bt5.jpg

The drawing is not very accurate because:
1. The fjord depths (but not the tunnel depths) have probably been multiplied with a factor of two.
2. The costs are just a guess. A 2+2 project with similar length (around 25 km) and depth in south-western Norway (Rogfast) has been estimated to 4,8-6,8 billion NOK. The Fosen tunnel probably won't have to be built with four lanes all the way, though.

Now, why is this project worthwhile even thinking about? Because, this tunnel will potentially have higher traffic than any other long tunnel in Norway. Firstly, the southern leg (Trondheim-Frosta) can be a part of a rerouting of the E6, shortening the distance between Trondheim and the towns of North Trøndelag with 20 km. Even with the road authorities' modes plan shown above, the E6 between Trondheim to Steinkjer is scheduled to be expanded to a 4 lane motorway, which surely will cost billions anyway. The tunnel continuing to Fosen will not have that much traffic, but despite Fosen's low population, the Flakk-Rørvik-ferry which this tunnel may substitute, already is the third busiest ferry in Norway, and there is a great push to substitute the two most busiest ferries (Oslofjorden Moss-Horten and Boknafjord MORTAVIKA-ARSVÅGEN), as well as some significantly less trafficated ferries (Rygfast, for instance) with similar tunnel projects.

For reference, here is the 2006 traffic numbers for the busiest ferries routes in Norway:
1. MOSS-HORTEN (Oslofjorden) 10.5 km AADT: 3598
2. MORTAVIKA-ARSVÅGEN (Boknafjorden) 8.0 km AADT: 2588
3. FLAKK-RØRVIK (Trondheimsfjorden) 7.2 km AADT: 1982
(in addition the high speed passenger ferries of the Fjord have several hundred thousand passengers each year)
..
..
yy. BRURAVIK - BRIMNES (being eliminated by the 2 billion NOK Hardanger bridge) 2.4 km AADT: 1001
..
..
xx. BOGNES-SKARBERGET (Tyssfjord) 8.3 AADT: 386 (as I said, eliminating the ferry here would largely be a symbolic task)

Relevant AADT:
E6 Åsen (relevant for (3 billion?) Trondheim-Frosta-tunnel): > 7000
E6 Rombakfjorden (relevant for 2 billion Hålogaland bridge): < 2000
E16 Lærdalstunnelen (longest road tunnel in the world, 24.5 km): AADT: 1600

If you just add the AADT of today (all of which increases by 6-10 % each year), the long Fosen tunnel will have a traffic of 9 000 AADT (i.e. 6 times the traffic of Lærdal) on the 15 km Trondheim-Frosta leg, and roughly 2 000 on the 10 km Frosta-Fosen(a bit mor than Lærdal), not including the transfer of traffic from the passanger ferries, and possibly transfer of traffic from other routes across the fjord. . There is no chance that any other long submarine tunnel project in Norway will come close to such traffic numbers as the Trondheim-Frosta tunnel, and this will help finance as well as possibly getting political support for the project.

However, I think a tunnel will open up the eyes of the roughly 250 000 people living in Trondheim and surrounding municipalities for the potential of Fosen as a weekend/holiday home destination as well. In addition, the attractive and sunny areas around tunnel openings both in Frosta and Fosen will become popular "suburbs" of Trondheim, which surely will boost the traffic a lot.

BTW: I have lived in Trondheim several years, and still visits the city a couple of times each year. However, like for most "Trondhjemmers", Fosen makes a nice view from the city, but is otherwise largely unknown territory. A tunnel will probably change that.

It seems like this idea is killed by Trondheim municipaly, they simply don't want all the cars injected into the already congested roads of central Trondheim.


The link Trondheim - Frosta - Fosen is maybe the best proposal if we were to build a floating tunnel. With E6's traffic between Trondheim and Frosta in a 4 lane highway, then a 2 lane road the last 10km-12km over to Fosen if could be the most affortable than other proposals. To Leksvik this would be perfect too, as the tunnel entrance would be from Hoven, about 10km west of the village of Leksvik and 20km east of Vanvikan. But for the rest of Fosen it would mean a detour, and as the majority of Fosen's population live in Rissa, Bjugn and Ørlandet. But that detour is minimal, as they have to drive to Vanvikan, then 10km west to Rørvik to take the ferry.

A tunnel from Ørlandet to Rissa is also a possibility, as it shortens the road a lot, but the cost compared the population and potensial there is too small, and certainly if Ørlandet looses the military base. But as they say, if would be possible and affortable with a tunnel connection there between Ørland-Rissa-Agdenes. Yes, a tunnel on about 15km going down to at least 500m, unless its more. If so i expect that much of the traffic will run to Trondheim by the roads on the southern side of Trondheimsfjorden which will be a faster way to get there. If those planns go ahead it will be a big lose for Leksvik, Mosvik, Åfjord Osen and Roan which is the smallest and least populated Fosen municipalities and will benefit most from a tunnel from Trondheim to Vanvikan. And if Bjugn and Ørlandet goes away there is less chance for a affortable tunnel.

A quick quick map of the fjord and its roads, and future tunnels?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/cityx/Other/Trondheimfjordtunnell.jpg

There is also some 190 000 passangers each year taking the expressboat between Vanvikan-Trondheim, a floating tunnel will make these go by busses through the tunnel, which increases the traffic by more.

And with Trondheim working against all planns as of now (even the ferry plan Vanvikan - Trondheim which all of Fosen is in favour of) we have a lot of difficult tasks to discuss and do research on if we actually do want to build a floating tunnel.

The proposed Trondheim-Frosta-Fosen is planned under the sea bottom (i.e. underground), as the fjord is not very deep following this route. A floating 25 km tube tunnel would probably have an astronomic construction as well as maintenance budget. The road from Hoven (or whereever the tunnel would see the daylight) to Bjugn/Ørlandet could probably be shortened a lot by building a new road across the peninsula. Of course for those living close to the current ferry jetty, it would be a detour, but as most employers of Trondheim is in the eastern part of the city, they will probably still save considerable time compared with todays solution (I would estimate 30 minutes at least in each direction).

Some bad news and some good news from the Norwegian transportation sector this week.

Bad news: The transport minister (Navarsete) announced that, despite the Road Authorities advice, she would not increase the speed limit from 100 to 110 km/h on the best motorways, instead she wanted to DECREASE the speed limit in certain areas/at certain times :bash: Talk about living on a different planet, very few people obey the 100 km/h limit, and even the police have earlier said that they don't stop cars as long as they drive below 120. Setting speed limits unaturally law simply makes people lose respect of the law, which is very bad in places/situations where the speed limit actually makes sense.

Good news (at least for those living nearby): Lofoten in Northern Norway is finally connected to the Norwegian mainland by road. Some images/renderings from the project:
http://vegprosjekt.info/lofast/Lofastkart2.gif
http://vegprosjekt.info/2003102318.jpg
http://vegprosjekt.info/2003102303.jpg
http://vegprosjekt.info/2003102304.jpg
http://vegprosjekt.info/2003102306.jpg
http://vegprosjekt.info/2003102307.jpg
http://vegprosjekt.info/2003102308.jpg
Some recent pictures from the completed project (they do not have during this period of the year):
http://www.vegvesen.no/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urlpicture&blobheader=image%2Fjpeg&blobkey=id&blobtable=SVVbilde&blobwhere=1195738080402&ssbinary=true
http://www.vegvesen.no/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urlpicture&blobheader=image%2Fjpeg&blobkey=id&blobtable=SVVbilde&blobwhere=1195738080425&ssbinary=true
http://www.vegvesen.no/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urlpicture&blobheader=image%2Fjpeg&blobkey=id&blobtable=SVVbilde&blobwhere=1195738080421&ssbinary=true
http://www.vegvesen.no/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urlpicture&blobheader=image%2Fjpeg&blobkey=id&blobtable=SVVbilde&blobwhere=1195738080411&ssbinary=true

Beutiful pictures. I haven't seen the Nordhordaland bridge anywhere. Not immensily beutiful, but original :)

http://static4.bareka.com/photos/medium/4292099/nordhordalandsbroen-bridge-august-norway.jpg
http://static4.bareka.com/photos/medium/226267/nordhordalandsbroen.jpg
http://www.wikenphoto.com/Other/Nordhordlandsbroen_II.JPG
Another night photo i thought was nice:)
http://www.wikenphoto.com/Other/Trafikk_II.JPG

On a side note; to the discussion regarding toll. In most larger cities an automated system collecting toll charges from various junctions such as bridges or city entrances have been put in place. Automaticly reading the car number and sending a bill at the end of each month.

Why in the world is not a motorway on the E18 to the Swedish border included in the 30-year plan? :( If I understood it correctly a small motorway will be built during a big part (to connect with the bit that has already been built) but right at the border area it will still be non-motorway... considering how important of a connection this is (and how much traffic I've seen on it), a wide motorway the whole way seems ideal.

There are several developments on the Swedish side of the E18 at least, which will really help to cut driving times between Oslo and Stockholm within a few years (several decent-sized stretches will already end next year, at least a good 25km I think). Värmland is also looking into the possibility of giving extra money to get it all motorway from Karlstad to the Värmland border a bit east of Kristinehamn by 2020, as well as upgrading significantly the road to the Norwegian border. (Not sure exactly what there though, I'm guessing 2+1 with divider.)

It's nice at least that within a few years development both in Sweden and in Norway will be done on the E6 so you will be able to go Copenhagen-Oslo on all motorways (and thus it will be quite a bit faster too). I just wish that more focus was being put on the E18 too!

^^ I think the map is based on projected traffic numbers only,using an unrealistically (i.e. politically wish-thinking) low expected traffic growth. . The whole E-18 south/east of Oslo is under upgrade (check Østfold county under the "prosjekt" flag in www.vegvesen.no if you understand Norwegian), and I believe it will be 4 lanes until Mysen. The traffic east of Mysen is however quite low, only 3700 AADT at the border, and most of this traffic are Norwegian locals doing their shopping in Sweden, so the traffic is probably even lower further inland in Sweden. I think we have to accept that the Stockholm-Oslo transport corridor is not terribly important for either country. For Norway, Oslo-Gothenburg and Oslo-Kristiansand-Stavanger-Bergen-Trondheim, Oslo-Bergen and Oslo-Trondheim are far more important, with much higher through-traffic both by air, car, and train, cargo and persons. However, if the Swedes decide to upgrade their road to motorway standard all the way to the border, there will perhaps be motivation enough also for the Norwegians to make a 4-lane road the few kms Mysen-Ørje (the border).....i.e. pretty much the same attitude the Norwegians have to the "Atlantbanan" HST project further north :)

Traffic volumes are not the only reason for motorway construction.

> Traffic volumes
> Traffic safety
> Economic development
> Driving time reducing
> Pollution reduction
> Livability of streets/towns

^^
True, and all these aspects are not very prevalent in the Norwegian agenda currently. Also, I might add, the mix of AADT varies a lot, and not enough attention is placed in Norway I think on the longer transit routes with a lot of truck traffic compared with private cars.

Three of your reasons (traffic volumes, traffic safety (in absolute numbers), and pollution reduction) are however dependent on each other. Also time reduction is of course more valuable when the traffic is higher. For the road in question (E-18 (Oslo)-Mysen (N)-Karlstad (S)-(Stockholm), of which only 30 km of the Mysen-Karlstad road is in Norway, there are almost no towns, and the time reduction will be very small (2-5 minutes with the current Norwegian speed limits), probably on the order of (if the road on the Swedish side would be developed it would be another story). Of course, one can hope for some economic development, but in reality the mobility between Norway and Sweden is much lower than internally in both countries, and the Stockholm-Oslo probably never will be a terribly important cargo route. A new road could potentially lead to some increase in cross border shopping, but this would not be to much benefit for Norway, and is environmental undesirable. So, although I see you point, and I think that Stockholm-Oslo at some point in the future should be a motorway, I think it is correct that there are a lot of projects on the priority list before this particular road.

The official proposal for the Norwegian transport plan (http://www.ntp.dep.no/2010-2019/pdf/Planforslaget_lavopploselig.pdf) for the next 10 years was published today. Seldom have I seen a less ambitious document.....

The official proposal for the Norwegian transport plan (http://www.ntp.dep.no/2010-2019/pdf/Planforslaget_lavopploselig.pdf) for the next 10 years was published today. Seldom have I seen a less ambitious document.....

I want to say it's a huge disappointment, but that would imply I was hoping for any improvement at all..

In my opinion the first thing to take care about in regarding Norwegian roads is getting straiter and wider roads in the most important regional routes. For those who haven't driven outside major cities in Norway, long stretches on the most important regional roads are way to narrow! This is one of many examples, how E16 main highway between Bergen and Oslo cities look like : http://www.hymer.no/skammensvei/img/is-smal_vei_maristuen_1021.jpg, not very efficient.

But we fly between Oslo and Bergen. So why do we need a good road? Traffic volumes are extremly low on this road, and the standard is not any worse than other roads with this low traffic volume.

I think it is much more important to use more money in southeastern Norway, where people live, and want to live!

Unless you want to bring you're car;P This is an important truck route too. Reducing emissions and travel time between the cities would be great!

I agree with Ingeniøren here. The main problem in Norway is that way to little is set aside to transportation. However, regarding the priorities, once the E6 from the Swedish border to Kolomoen, and the E18 through Vestfold is completed, south-eastern Norway actually is one of the few areas where there is a decent road network. Sure, in Oslo like other cities there are some problems during rush hours, but in the central south-eastern Norway there is also an excellent alternative provided by the government, a quite efficient rail system. Building a lot more roads here would not make much sense either economically nor environmentally.

Between the regions in Norway the roads are however simply terribly. It may not bother GuyFromMoss, but about 50 % of travels above 300 km in Norway is actually on road, not by air. If we got a decent motorway network this percentage would increase a lot, which would be very good for the environment. When it comes to goods, the air is usually not an alternative. In some places the railway could be an alternative if the freight capacity was increased, but many places along the Norwegian coast will simply never be reached by the railway.

Almost all the export industries in Norway are located along the coast. Very little is located in the south/eastern corner of Norway. Needless to say, the poor Norwegian road and railway network costs Norwegian industry a heap of money in extra costs every year. Economist have estimated the economic advantage of developing a motorway network connecting Stavanger, Bergen, Oslo and Trøndelag would be around 60 billion NOK (about 7.6 billion Euro) every year, and such a network would thus pay off from day one.

According to a report (http://www.sintef.no/upload/Teknologi_og_samfunn/Veg%20og%20samferdsel/Rapporter/A07034_Miljøkonsekvenser-sluttrapport-ver6.pdf) from the Norwegian research organisation Sintef, developing motorways on the transit routes will also pay off for the environment, as trucks and cars no longer have to make the frequent accelerations, stops and climbs so often often found on the current very winding, narrow and sometimes clogged roads. Except that we could expect some transfer of passengers from the environmentally unfriendly air traffic, the long-haul traffic volumes in Norway is not expected to be very dependent on road standard.

The final argument is of course safety. Most fatal accidents in Norway happens on two-lane countryside roads we call highways, not in the cities, and certainly not at the few motorways we have.
I think it is much more important to use more money in southeastern Norway, where people live, and want to live!
It sounds like you have inhaled a little bit to much of the famous Mosse-smoke.....

I could say a lot to this, but most of it would be offtopic for the current forum, so I will try to be short:


Only roughly 50 % of the Norwegian population lives in south-eastern Norway. The population of all regions of Norway except Northern Norway has population growth, and there has only been marginal changes in population between the regions the last couple of decades (again with the exception of Northern Norway). Oslo and Akershus has a combined population of little over 1 million of Norway's total 4.7.

Except Troms, Oslo had the lowest traffic growth last year at only 1.5 %. Østfold couty had the fourth slowest growth. Hedmark, Aust-Agder (5.4%), Vest-Agder, Rogaland, Sogn og Fjordane, Sør-Trøndelag and Nord-Trøndelag counties all had higher traffic growth than Akershus at 3.6 %, which had the highest growth in South-Eastern Norway.

Despite this, south-eastern Norway in general, and Oslo/Akershus in particular, gets almost all public transportation money today, some projects, like the Bjørvika projects where the road is put under ground just because of easthetic reasons, other parts of Norway could just dream about. In contrast I could mention the two-lane 8 m broad road called E6 south of Trondheim. It has almost 30 000 AADT, still, the government except an upgrade to be financed 100 % through toll charges.

Nobody I know have moved to the Oslo-region because that's where they want to live, but because thats where they can find an interesting job. A big explanation for this is the huge government public sector of Oslo. Not including fully government owned employers like the railway etc, and partly government owned bussinesses like Telenor and Statoil-Hydro, Oslo has almost 40 000 government workers in Oslo, 14 % of the total workforce, which is skyhigh above any other region in Norway.


Well, maybe not so short....

I live in Akershus myself, btw, rarely has to pay any toll charge and seldom experience any traffic problems on my way to my government job....

30.000 AADT on a single lane road is unacceptably high. Dutch one lane roads gets congested above 20.000 AADT. The capacity of a one lane road is 40.000, but only in completely free-flow situations, not with at grade intersections.

I don't want to live any other place than Oslo, but i don't want the goverment building more roads here except lids and tunnels creating nicer neighbourhoods financed by selling gained lots and toll (road money shouldn't be used on this), i never drive in the city because the public transport is so good! A road i could really support would be a ring 4 tunnel under the forrest-areas so people passing by don't have to cross the city going south-north or east-vest,as it is now, there's not that many alternative routes!

Norwegian truck drivers say they will stop their trucks for two minutes in commemoration of an accident last Sunday killing two truckdrivers. Since this is Norway, and not Italy or France, I guess that's all they will do for now, but you never now.

The accident happened on the Rv (Rv=National highway) 3, which is a 300 km long highway connecting with the E6 in both ends. The northern part of this road goes through one of the least populated regions of Norway, and thus this part of the road has transit traffic only, and the traffic varies between 14 000 AADT in the south and 2000 AADT in the northern end. However, since it is 40 km shorter and the elevation is 300 m less than E6 itself, 90 % of the trucks going from South-Eastern Norway, Oslo or the continent to central Norway/Trondheim uses this route. Thus, around 360 trucks of length above 16 m goes there every day, a number you usually find only on main highway with traffic above 10 000 AADT in Norway. The problem with the road is that it in many places is only 7 m wide, is very run down with lots of bumps, and there is also a big moose hazard (no joke, it is not fun to get this animal through your windscreen!).

During winter, of course, the road effectively gets even narrower, and the road is often slippery, which is a bad combination in particular with the many trucks come from the continent/Eastern Europe that usually neither have the equipment nor skill to drive on such roads. About 60-100 trucks needs assistance on this road every year, meaning hours of closures on this quite important interregional route. Mix this with stressed commuters in private cars and you get a predictable and tragic result. Many people die on this road every year. The government's response so far has been as predictable as unhelpful, a further decrease of the speed limit. There is hardly a place in Norway it would have been easier to widen the road at little expence, though.

I guess the reason that the truck drivers got so upset because of this accident, in addition to built up frustration, was because two trucks hit head on, resulting in the death of both drivers, one Danish and one Norwegian. The reason for the accident is not yet clear. In most accidents it is private car vs truck, and relatively few truck drivers are dying. According to the truck drivers, they have about 20 cm of margin between the ditch and a meeting truck during winter.

Some images from the accident scene:
http://olimg.no.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Avis=OL&Dato=20080216&Kategori=NYHETER&Lopenr=603384342&Ref=AR&Profile=1015&MaxW=768&title=1&NoBorder
http://olimg.no.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Avis=OL&Dato=20080216&Kategori=NYHETER&Lopenr=603384342&Ref=H3&Profile=1012&MaxW=768&title=1&NoBorder
This is from a "normal" truck rescue operation (i.e. no fatalities) on the same road:
http://olimg.no.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Avis=OL&Dato=20080219&Kategori=NYHETER&Lopenr=407166132&Ref=AR&Profile=1012&MaxW=768&title=1&NoBorder
30.000 AADT on a single lane road is unacceptably high. Dutch one lane roads gets congested above 20.000 AADT. The capacity of a one lane road is 40.000, but only in completely free-flow situations, not with at grade intersections.
Well, we are talking about Norway, remember? Politicians seem to believe that traffic jams is a good thing. Most of the stretch I was talking about has grade separate intersections though, but it terminates in an ordinary roundabout with another major road of Norway, the coastal highway E-39 Trondheim-Bergen-Stavanger-Kristiansand :ohno: The E-39 through Sandnes (south of Stavanger) BTW has even higher traffic, but it is mostly 3-lanes.
I don't want to live any other place than Oslo, but i don't want the goverment building more roads here except lids and tunnels creating nicer neighbourhoods financed by selling gained lots and toll (road money shouldn't be used on this), i never drive in the city because the public transport is so good! A road i could really support would be a ring 4 tunnel under the forrest-areas so people passing by don't have to cross the city going south-north or east-vest,as it is now, there's not that many alternative routes!
Actually, a fourth ring road is a part of the plan of www.bilaksjonen.no/www.bedreveier.org:
http://www.bedreveier.org/motorvei-den-doble-y-50pst.jpg
This would be great for transit traffic, but I am not sure if it would make a significant impact on the Oslo traffic volumes. After all, the greater part of the traffic in Oslo is local, and probably most of the traffic coming in from region around Oslo today has its final destination somewhere in the Oslo-area. And besides, with the current funding the "double Y" won't happen in our lifetime.....

Would be great to get the oppurtunity to drive from Vestfold to Romerike without having to drive the rollercoaster-road Rv35 or passing an hour in stillstanding traffic. The capasity would probably be eaten up wery fast by trafic-growt, the Oslofjordtunnel has only 6000 yearly-day-trafic, but with the through-going trafic going outside the city, we could start eliminating the cars as best as we can from the city, downscaling roads, buslanes/tramlanes with good parking on busstops with good bus connections to various parts of town. I also would like the Bike-tube idea from Bodø to be realised in Oslo - with good dry weather and good paths there's no excuse not to bike =) Harsh weather and bad paths are keeping people from biking. As to having 4-lane motorway throughout the country is a too much, 2+1 lanes with guardrail could be the normal for light-traficated. A good east-west crossing like the one to Stavanger/Bergen would be the most important road in my opinion. And a broadening off Rv3 to Trondheim =)

Norway has again surpassed its own world record of lowest underwater road-tunnel=) 287 meters below sealevel and 7,8 km long.
http://pub.tv2.no/multimedia/na/archive/00546/Satellite031_546730a.jpg
http://pub.tv2.no/multimedia/na/archive/00546/Satellite03_546729b.jpg
The road connects 22 000 innhabitants on some islands to the mainland with E39, Volda airport, university college and hospital. Cost off about 1 billion Euros.

Actually, a fourth ring road is a part of the plan of www.bilaksjonen.no/www.bedreveier.org:
http://www.bedreveier.org/motorvei-den-doble-y-50pst.jpg
This would be great for transit traffic, but I am not sure if it would make a significant impact on the Oslo traffic volumes. After all, the greater part of the traffic in Oslo is local, and probably most of the traffic coming in from region around Oslo today has its final destination somewhere in the Oslo-area. And besides, with the current funding the "double Y" won't happen in our lifetime.....

We can sadly forget about 4 lane in that Y-proposal with today's fundings. But 2+1 lanes is possible with speed limits on 90km/h, as its very irritating when they make really good roads such as Steinkjer new E6 North and Steinkjer new E6 South where everything is 4 lane and 2+1 lane roads, much better than many 90km/h roads in Norway, and they put some 80km/h signs instead.

Also, last year they fixed some 6km of E6 between Levanger and Stjørdal into 90km/h divided with mid-parts. But they had to make it cheaper than estimated, and made the road into 2+1 for about 300m on each sides, so everytime you drive on the new road the traffic goes 70km/h because of some 80 year old lady which doesn't dare to drive that fast. So the result with the new road is negative, the traffic goes slower then before, since its impossible to drive past any cars anymore. This stretch also had 90km/h before, and was a really good stretch.

Edit: How do i delete this reply?

Impossible, give the moderator of this sections a PM message, but you don't need to bother about it as we easilly scroll over your reply. :)

What I'd like to see is a Haukeli connection that kills two birds with one stone.

The three track rail connection would run Oslo-Drammen-Kongsberg-and in the West branch into 3. Bergen, Haugesund. Stavanger.

High-speed passenger rail between Oslo and all three cities as well as HSR between Stavanger and Drammen.

Car-trains/truck-trains using the same right of way. Make it faster and subsidize it to make it cheaper than driving the same stretch. Make it mandatory for all truck traffic not stopping locally during the stretch.

It would have to be subsidized but of coures building a slightly beefed up rail connection would be a lot cheaper than building the rail connection and greatly improved roads.

We can sadly forget about 4 lane in that Y-proposal with today's fundings. But 2+1 lanes is possible with speed limits on 90km/h, as its very irritating when they make really good roads such as Steinkjer new E6 North and Steinkjer new E6 South where everything is 4 lane and 2+1 lane roads, much better than many 90km/h roads in Norway, and they put some 80km/h signs instead.

I agree that with today's funding, a full 4-lane highway like that proposal is impossible. But unfortunately, 3 lanes is not a good option either. Much of E6 between Gardemoen and Hamar is built with 3 lanes, but there is alot of deadly accidents there. Some unconsious drivers will overtake while it is cars in the other direction that is allowed to do it. And more common, dangerous situations arises when that extra lane changes direction, as some stupid aggressive drivers will always try to overtake cars in the last second.

Imagine how many lives that have been saved because of the new E18 Vestfold, what used to be called the death-road. The reduced the speed from 80km/h to 60-70, and even 50km/h some places, and still there were loads of deaths and other serious accidents. After it opened 6 years ago, there has been no deaths on this road afaik.

Building 4-lane motorways on these important roads will pay off(reduced deaths, reduced social costs because of fewer injuries, reduced material costs, and better access to the markets etc.) but ofcourse all on this forum already knows that, but there is little we can do...

A guardrail between the two directions is all you need to get rid of the deadly accidents, in Sweden they have 2+1 lane roads with guardrail on many important highways =) And the last years we have buildt some off these too. 4 lanes are only necessery on heavily traficated stretches. Not Hønefoss - Bergen etc. =) When i drove in Finnmark they had even a piece off one-lane E6 with 90 km/h limit. The Steinkjer road is too short to get 90 km/h i imagine. Btw. In the whole western Norway there's only the motorway Sandnes - Stavanger that has 90 km/h.

Of course a four-lane network is just a dream with the current funding. Unfortunately, only the far right Progress Party has supported such a network so far, but they are irresponsible in most other areas. With only 1 1/2 year to the next election, we can only hope for more focus on this area.

A 2+1 with guardail reduces the number of serious accidents, but is not a full alternative to 4-lane roads, which are much safer. Even Norwegian "rocket scientists" have realized this now (http://www.vegvesen.no/cs/Satellite?c=Page&cid=1152522321230&pagename=VPEiksund%2FPage%2FVPside). Note that the report does not take into account that 4-lane roads typically has much higher traffic, hence, if 1+2 had the same level of traffic they would have far more accidents. A 4-lane road also have big economic and environemental benefits, like higher reliability (it won't be as easily clogged for hours by a foreign truck with summer tires), higher speeds/shorter travel times and less breaking/accelerations (i.e. less emissions). The cost of building a narrow 4-lane (19 m) road is actually only marginally higher than a 1+2 road with guardrail (14.5 m), whereas first building an 1+2 and then later expand it to a 4-lane road is by far the most expensive solution. Sadly, this is the path the Norwegian government has followed so far.

We can sadly forget about 4 lane in that Y-proposal with today's fundings. But 2+1 lanes is possible with speed limits on 90km/h, as its very irritating when they make really good roads such as Steinkjer new E6 North and Steinkjer new E6 South where everything is 4 lane and 2+1 lane roads, much better than many 90km/h roads in Norway, and they put some 80km/h signs instead.

Also, last year they fixed some 6km of E6 between Levanger and Stjørdal into 90km/h divided with mid-parts. But they had to make it cheaper than estimated, and made the road into 2+1 for about 300m on each sides, so everytime you drive on the new road the traffic goes 70km/h because of some 80 year old lady which doesn't dare to drive that fast. So the result with the new road is negative, the traffic goes slower then before, since its impossible to drive past any cars anymore. This stretch also had 90km/h before, and was a really good stretch.
The most interesting thing about the Steinkjer roads is that they were built without tolls at all, a rare thing in Norway.....

I think the decrease of the speed limits one some of the best roads in Norway has made people lose respect of the rules, and caused the speed to increase on other roads. To me it seems that the traffic is going at much higher speed relative to the speed limits today than some years ago.

What I'd like to see is a Haukeli connection that kills two birds with one stone.

The three track rail connection would run Oslo-Drammen-Kongsberg-and in the West branch into 3. Bergen, Haugesund. Stavanger.

High-speed passenger rail between Oslo and all three cities as well as HSR between Stavanger and Drammen.

Car-trains/truck-trains using the same right of way. Make it faster and subsidize it to make it cheaper than driving the same stretch. Make it mandatory for all truck traffic not stopping locally during the stretch.

It would have to be subsidized but of coures building a slightly beefed up rail connection would be a lot cheaper than building the rail connection and greatly improved roads.

I also fully support the development of a better rail network in Norway, both interregionally (possibly HSR) and in urban areas. The best measure for the environment would be to increase the freight capacity of our railways. They are currently running at full capacity, and this is one of the reasons for the large increase in truck traffic. Railways can never serve the whole country and all transport needs, however.

According to the rail authorities, the HSR proposal with the best potential of becoming economical is Oslo-Trondheim via Østerdalen. Just like other visionary transport plans in Norway, the chance that any of the HSR lines would be realized is very low.

Of course a four-lane network is just a dream with the current funding. Unfortunately, only the far right Progress Party has supported such a network so far, but they are irresponsible in most other areas. With only 1 1/2 year to the next election, we can only hope for more focus on this area.

A 2+1 with guardail reduces the number of serious accidents, but is not a full alternative to 4-lane roads, which are much safer. Even Norwegian "rocket scientists" have realized this now (http://www.vegvesen.no/cs/Satellite?c=Page&cid=1152522321230&pagename=VPEiksund%2FPage%2FVPside). Note that the report does not take into account that 4-lane roads typically has much higher traffic, hence, if 1+2 had the same level of traffic they would have far more accidents. A 4-lane road also have big economic and environemental benefits, like higher reliability (it won't be as easily clogged for hours by a foreign truck with summer tires), higher speeds/shorter travel times and less breaking/accelerations (i.e. less emissions). The cost of building a narrow 4-lane (19 m) road is actually only marginally higher than a 1+2 road with guardrail (14.5 m), whereas first building an 1+2 and then later expand it to a 4-lane road is by far the most expensive solution. Sadly, this is the path the Norwegian government has followed so far.

2+1 is a good alternative when there's an existing wide non-separated road. New painting and guardail is really cheap compared with widening or a complete new road. That's the situation in Sweden with it's huge network of 13 m roads, but Norway is of course another case :)

Typical 13 m 2+1 in Sweden look like:

0,5
3,25, lane
3,25, lane
1,5
3,75, lane
0,5

2+1 is indeed a very good solution for roads which are busy, have little overtaking possibilites, but the traffic volume doesn't justify a motorway. It can also be combined with grade separated intersections at busy intersections.

It's much cheaper than a full-profile motorway.

But we fly between Oslo and Bergen.

Why do you think people fly? ;)

What I don't get about the current government is why they don't seem to realise (or want to realise) that good infrastructure is good "distriktspolitikk". They want people to live in the districts but they don't seem to want to make it any easier for them.. It's no wonder people are abandoning towns and villages when their only connection to the outside world is a 1,5 lane potholed road and they can't get a job because no sensible business would want to establish themselves there. It's a proven fact that good infrastructure brings more people out of the cities (to Suburbia mostly, but still ;)).

It's sad that the sensible parties are letting the lunatics in FrP snatch so many voters because of these things. Instead of doing anything about it they waste money on HSR feasibility projects that everyone knows will never be realised anyway.

^^ Agreed!
2+1 is indeed a very good solution for roads which are busy, have little overtaking possibilites, but the traffic volume doesn't justify a motorway. It can also be combined with grade separated intersections at busy intersections.

It's much cheaper than a full-profile motorway.

The 2+1 road (S5) we are talking about according to the latest Norwegian standard has the following profile (speed limit up to 90 km/h):
http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/9600/s5forbipf3.jpg
The standard for the narrowest motorway (S7/S8) has the following profile (speed limit up to 100 km/h)
http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/6515/s8bt3.jpg

Both roads has grade separated intersection etc. Although I am not an expert, I would assume that added cost of building S7/S8 is far less than (19/14.5-1)=31 %. The major problem, however, is that the Norwegian authorities always underestimates the traffic growth, so that after only a decade or so after building an 2+1 or 1+1 expressway the accident numbers and congestions reach a level where the road needs to be expanded to a full profile motorway. The added cost is then of course much higher.

Traffic volumes are not the only reason for motorway construction.

> Traffic volumes
> Traffic safety
> Economic development
> Driving time reducing
> Pollution reduction
> Livability of streets/towns

I wholeheartedly agree, but, unfortunately, Norwegian politicians and bureaucrats do not: Unless traffic volumes are predicted to exceed AADT 10000 on the proposed stretch of road, a motorway will not be built. In addition, as long as the AADT isn't predicted to exceed 20000 in the next 30 years, the road will most likely be built as a narrow profile motorway (i.e. an expressway disguised as a motorway). To add insult to injury, the predictions have been notoriously unreliable.

One problem with this norm is that it does not differ between cars and trucks. This of course, discriminate the regional transit routes which is quite important for the economy vs urban roads that has mostly private cars whose drivers and passengers might as well use some other form for transport.

However, no need to worry, using the official traffic prognoses, the current funding will only get the Norwegian roads up to the official norm in 50 years time. Unfortunately, real growth has typicallly been 2 percent higher than the prognosis in the past, so in reality, Norwegian roads will never get there with the current funding.

But the situation could be worse, this year quite a long strech of motorway will open in Østfold, and the motorway trough Drammen will be ready.Next year, 40 kms of motorway will open from Kristiansand to Grimstad, and the long motorway tunnel at Vinterbro (close to Oslo) will open.

The worst things about norwegian roads, is that they're unreliable(have to close in bad weather, falling rocks etc.), unsafe(to many turns, to narrow and not enough centre-guardrail), and main routes trough towns and cities(even the new E6 Oslo - Trondheim is recently planned trough Oppdal centre) - The local authorities want them trough because of tourism. It's not true that planners don't pay attention to the truck-routes, they get the numbers with heavy vehicles seperatly - i know, i do the counting =P But there's a lot of road-planning i don't yet understand.

^^ How do you guys count? I am also conducting traffic counts, but with mobile counters, not the ones which are made in the pavement.

The old way, using a paper and pen - only for intersections tough because it's the cheapest way to do these counts.

Alright, visual countings. We do those occasionally.

I use these:
http://www.pvvh.nl/Pvvh/telslang.jpg

^^ This one is actually placed in a way, i'd never do. Cars can stand on the hoses, and the counts can be interrupted, making the counts unreliable.

Most of the users of this forum will probably never go to Norway, but some might. Since the quality of even main roads up here is questionable, to say the least, here's a somewhat subjective guide of what you can expect now and in the forseeable future. The obvious starting point is the 2000+ kms of "mother road", the E6.

The Norwegian stretch of the E6 runs through the entire country, thus covering a wide variety of landscapes and road standards. County by county, it goes something like this:

Østfold:

Crossing the border from Sweden, you enter Østfold county, through which the E6 will be completed as a proper 4-lane motorway by the end of this year. Currently, approx 25 kms remain. Speed limit: Eventually 100 kph the entire way.
Nature-wise, Østfold is relatively flat and perhaps a bit boring, at least by Norwegian standards.

Akershus/Oslo/Akershus

To the north of Østfold, the E6 runs through Akershus, Oslo and then Akershus again. From the Østfold border to the Oslo border, the entire road is a motorway apart from a 7-km stretch just south of Oslo. The road and tunnel here is due to be completed in 2009.
Through the southern outskirts of Oslo, there is a serious jam problem. The road is an older, 2x2-lane expressway. There are plans to make it a 2x3 and reroute it through a new tunnel, but this is at least 10-15 years in the future.
To the north, the situation is slightly better: The road is a motorway, mainly 2x3 (even 2x4 including a bus lane in places).
Entering Akershus again. The first 40 kms is a proper 2x2 motorway, then things turn sour: the remaining bit of the E6 through Akershus is a 2- or 3-lane expressway without a centre guardrail or barrier. Work on dualling the road has begun, but even the first 10-km stretch will not be completed until 2009, and the rest is not due to be completed until 2012-15. Speed limits vary, 80-100 kph, lower through construction zones, obviously.
Akershus is also quite boring, with fields, farms, villages and low hills.

Hedmark

Much the same as Akershus, the entire stretch (approx 75 kms) is 2-/3-lane expressway. Speed limit: 80 kph. Dualling is planned or in construction, the first 10-km bit will open in 2010, the rest from 2012-2020 (or perhaps even beyond).
Hedmark is slightly more exciting, the road runs partly along Norway’s largest lake Mjøsa, partly through forests and hills and partly across fields.

Oppland

The road quality varies a lot, the first 40-50 kms is a 2-/3-lane expressway, the next 50 kms a reasonable quality 2-lane highway, bypassing villages and hamlets. The remainder of the road through Gudbrandsdalen (some 100 kms) is not so reasonable: the 2-lane highway runs through most villages, it is quite curvy in places and the climb up to the Dovre plateau is quite steep. Across the plateau, however, the road is dead straight, with a 90 kph speed limit. Elsewhere, 50-80 kph.
As for plans, there are plenty: The southernmost part, along Mjøsa up to Lillehammer, will eventually be dualled, but that won’t happen for at least 15 years. The road through Gudbrandsdalen is planned as a 2+1 expressway, with a central barrier. Construction may start in a couple of years.
Oppland has the first bit of truly exciting nature, the Dovre plateau, but also Mjøsa and parts of Gudbrandsdalen (meaning Gudbrand’s valley) is interesting.

Sør-Trøndelag

Both road quality and nature differ considerably over the 150+ kms through the southern Trøndelag county. Beginning on the Dovre plateau, the road is quite good (stretches with a 90 kph limit) almost down to Oppdal. But just south of that village, things get worse. From there to the southern outskirts of Trondheim, the road is a mix of decent highway, villages and towns, curvy stretches along valleys and rivers and a short 3-/4-lane expressway just south of Trondheim. Speed limits, 50-90 kph.
There are plans for improvement, but they’re anything but spectacular and way into the future. The final 10 kms into Trondheim will be widened into a proper motorway in the next 5-10 years. Around Trondheim, the road is a pretty decent 4-lane expressway, and to the north (actually east…), the road is a 2-/3-lane expressway for 30 kms, partly with a central barrier. In the long run, this might become a motorway.
The nature is varied, mountains, wild valleys, forests, hills, agricultural landscapes and even the Trondheimsfjord.

Nord-Trøndelag

No uniform standard here either. The southernmost 75 kms has a considerable amount of 2-lane expressway, but it’s mixed with villages and poorer quality 2-lane road. North of Steinkjer, the road is somewhat more uniform, a 2-lane highway. Mainly, it’s a quite good 70s or 80s road, around Grong there is even a proper 90 kph stretch built in the 90s. North of there, the road narrows, with plenty of curves and even a single-lane bridge, but there are also bits of better 80s/90s road. Speed limits vary from 50 to 90 kph.
Steinkjer deserves a few comments. The new road through the former is nothing short of a scandal: south of the town, the road is a narrow-profile 2+2 expressway. North of the town, it’s a 1+1 with a central concrete barrier. Through the town, however, you’ve got two narrow lanes, four or five roundabouts, plenty of local traffic. Nothing atypical about that, perhaps, only that the road is brand new…
Plans include a 4-lane stretch around Stjørdal (with roundabout intersections, however), some shorter new stretches. In a 20-year perspective, we might see more of a narrow profile 4-laner through the southern part, and longer improved stretches further north.
Nature includes hilly landscapes, the Trondheimsfjord, fields, forests and river valleys.

Nordland

Norway’s longest and second-largest county is truly varied, roadwise as well as naturewise. Close to the border with Nord-Trøndelag you find some of the worst stretches of the entire E6; narrow (single lane in places), plenty of tight curves, poor pavement, 60-70 kph speed limit… The stretch into Mosjøen was improved in the 80s, but the 50 kms north of Mosjøen are quite bad. Then, there is a new 8-km tunnel, and the road from Korgen to Mo is ok to quite good. Further north, the story is bad until you get up at Saltfjellet mountain plateau, where the road is spectacular in most ways imaginable. The descent on the other side is also narrow, but the road down in the valley is really good all the way to Rognan. The next 200 kms (to Narvik), is basically the same roadwise: An ok 2-lane road, quite a few (rather narrow) tunnels, steep in places, curvy in places. The stretch also includes the only ferry on the E6. Narvik to the border with Troms is much the same story: 2 lanes, improved in places. Speed limits obviously vary, from 50 to 90 kph, but there are in fact a few longish 90 kph stretches.
Improvements are planned in several places: A new bridge north of Narvik, new road through the city centre, tunnels to replace the worst hill just south of the ferry, improvements of all non-2-lane stretches are all to become a reality in a decade or so.
Where to begin in terms of the nature..? Mountain plateaus and ranges, glaciers, fjords, wild rivers, valleys, forests… In short, a truly spectacular drive.

Troms/Finnmark

It’s been a while since I drove through Norway’s two northernmost counties, but not all that much has happened since the early 90s. The road quality varies considerably, but there is quite a bit of 90 kph on the straight roads along fjords, across mountain plateaus and in the valleys. There are narrow and curvy places, however, even though some of them have been improved. The road through both countries is quite quiet (apart from the bit through Alta), and thus, it runs through most tiny hamlets, villages and towns. However, these are few and far between, so a reasonable travel speed is very much possible. Limits from 50 to 90, much more of the latter.
Some plans exist, one of the more spectacular is the proposed improvement of the current rv 98 between Lakselv and Tana and make it into the E6. It would make sense, since it’s about 50 kms shorter, but it requires a new road across a couple of mountain passes. Improvements are currently going on outside Alta, and a few other places will also see construction works the next decade.
The nature is still spectacular, fjords and mountains in particular, plus the world’s northernmost forest!

I’ll see if I can find more pix, but for now, I’m focusing on this guide. I’ve driven most Norwegian main roads, and I’ll see if I can make a guide to the E39, E16, E134, E136, E14, E10, E8, rv 2, 3, 5, 7 and 15. If anyone else would like to make other contributions or additions to my guides, please feel free.

However, my second guide concerns the second-most important road in Norway, the E18.

Østfold

Whereas the E6 enters Norway from the south, Gothenburg, Malmö, Copenhagen and – obviously – Continental Europe, E18 is the main link from the east – Stockholm. It is certainly not as important as the E6, but still, quite a busy road. At the border, the road is a decent 2-lane road for about 10 kms. The next 25 are better, a 90s 10-metre 2-laner. Then, there’s a short break onto the old, poor quality road. Then, about 15 kms of brand new motorway until you end up on an older 2-lane road through towns and villages to the border with Akershus. Speed limits 50-100 kph.
Construction works going on as we speak. The entire western part to the Akershus border will eventually be motorway, the remainder 2-lane expressway, but probably not finished until beyond 2015.
The nature isn’t that spectacular, fields, forests, some lakes and hills.

Akershus/Oslo/Akershus

The first 10 kms is an overloaded, decent 2-lane stretch. The next 5 is an overloaded, 2+1 expressway without a central divider, then entering Oslo on a 4-km stretch of OLD motorway which turns to an overloaded regular road along the fjord about 8 kms from the city centre. Then, 4, 6 or 8 lanes through/under the city centre, partly with motorway signposting. Then, an older 4-6-lane (partly plus bus lanes) road all the way to Sandvika where the road turns 2x3, later 2x2 motorway to the Buskerud border. Limits: 50-90 kph.
Plans and construction… Well… To start where I ended above: the largest project in Norwegian history, a new western approach to Oslo from Sandvika: A brand new 2x3 motorway will replace the old expressway, due for opening around 2015. Also, widening to 2x3 towards Asker, possibly a new tunnel underneath Asker to replace the ugly 70s bridge. Currently, an immersed 2x3 tunnel is constructed across the eastern harbour to take traffic under instead of through the city. This will open in 2010. The 2-lane road along the fjord may eventually be replaced by a 6-km 2x2 tunnel, but the politicians insist 2 lanes should be reserved for buses. Quite insane, particularly since the traffic load approaches an AADT of 30,000… 2 lanes of the old motorway south of the proposed tunnel will also be made into bus lanes (AADT 25,000+...), and the 2+1 (AADT 20,000+) will not be widened. The reason for all this is that the politicians have decided that traffic from the south and east should use the E6 from the E18/E6 junction and not the E18… The 10 kms of “overloaded, decent 2-lane” road to the east of this will eventually be replaced by a motorway, but not until years after the Østfold motorway is finished…
Nature? Not much of it, since most of the road crosses the most densely populated area of Norway. But the fjord is nice.

Buskerud

Actually, a fully fledged E18 motorway county come autumn. Then, the “missing link” – 2 kms of 2-lane expressway south of Drammen – will be dualled. Speed limits from 80 (the bridge over Drammen) to 100 (the rest) apart for the 50-70 through the construction site.
Nature: Quite ok, albeit not all that exciting, mainly fields, some forest plus a hint of fjord.

Vestfold

Northern 40+ kms (to Tønsberg exit) is a modern 2x2 motorway, the next 25 kms a 2- or 2+1-expressway, partly with a central concrete barrier. Then, 10 kms of accident-infested 2-lane highway, followed by another 10 of 70s 2-lane expressway. The final stretch to the border with Telemark is horrible, plenty of curves and traffic... Limits: 60-100 kph.
Plans: The entire stretch will be made motorway by 2012-15, current construction is the replacement of the “10 kms of accident-infested 2-lane highway”. Finished by 2009.
Nature: Mainly fields, some forests and hills.

Telemark

Begins with a fairly old 2-lane expressway which becomes a slightly newer 2- or 2+1-expressway for about 25 kms. Then, a decent 2-laner for 20 kms, eventually leaving Telemark the same way it entered – as 70s 2-lane expressway. 60-80 kph.
Eventually, the entire stretch is supposed to become a motorway, but that’ll probably take 20+ years. However, the first 4-lane stretch, to replace the 20 km non-expressway stretch, might come to be in less than a decade.
Telemark’s nature is more exciting, even out by the coast. You’ll get hills, fjords with spectacular views from the bridges crossing them plus a bit of fields and forest.

Aust-Agder

You’ll start on the abovementioned 70s expressway, then onto a modern 2+1 expressway with a central barrier. After about 25 kms, you’ll enter 30 kms of questionable 2-lane highway. Some stretches have been modernised, but mainly rather narrow and curvy and most certainly not good enough. Then, from Arendal to Grimstad, there is a 2-/2+1-expressway built in the 80s and 90s. The final 40 kms to the Vest-Agder border is truly crappy, but is replaced by a new motorway currently under construction in 2009. Speed limits vary from 50 to 90 kph.
Eventually, also Aust-Agder will see only motorway, but not for another 20 years. The next likely stretch to be improved is north of Arendal.
The southern coast of Norway is really nice, and even the inland stretches of the E18 have some nice views.

Vest-Agder

The final 10 kms of E18 – into Kristiansand – is or will be shortly 4-lane expressway or motorway. Speed limit 60-80 kph.
Plans: A new Varodd bridge. Currently, southbound traffic use a new bridge, northbound use the old 50s suspension bridge. This will eventually be replaced.
Nature, still nice.

Great guides, Elvis! To bad they have to replace the varoddbridge as the old one looks really impressing!

Interesting information. Thanks for sharing. :)

Great guides, Elvis! To bad they have to replace the varoddbridge as the old one looks really impressing!

Thanks! There's more to come, including pictures. I can't seem to get them pasted, though...

Interesting information. Thanks for sharing. :)

Thank you, the next road guide is going to be the E39 - about 1000 kms of about everything a motorist can imagine...

Yes, show the horror! Keep up the good work=)

It's not true that planners don't pay attention to the truck-routes, they get the numbers with heavy vehicles seperatly - i know, i do the counting =P But there's a lot of road-planning i don't yet understand.
I know they count the trucks seperately (at least sometimes), but when calculating the total AADT, which eventually decides which road could be built, a Fiant Punta count just as much as the largest truck monsters...
Thanks! There's more to come, including pictures. I can't seem to get them pasted, though...
Thanks for the great work. If you want to include pictures, you need to host them somewhere else. I have used imageshack.us a couple of times to host pictures anonymously, but I see other people are using other sites.

^^ This one is actually placed in a way, i'd never do. Cars can stand on the hoses, and the counts can be interrupted, making the counts unreliable.

True, but 100% accuracy isn't really important, is it?

^^ Well, it is important if you conduct such a survey to make noise-level models. Those can be used in juridical issues. If you have always cars standing on the hoses (usually with a roundabout), the accuracy can be very low.

It works like this:
When a car drive over a hose, a little air pulse will go towards the counter. Because there are two hoses, this counter can calculate speed and classification (light, medium or heavy traffic). If you stand on one of the hoses, your classification will be messed up. Also, countings can get messed up, because it takes too long for the second pulse to reach the counter.

About the horror of Norwegian roads: This is not a highway, but really cool and dangerous!! Up Jordalen, it's just a short detour off E16 =)
http://lh6.google.com/arkanum57/RyRcnyPeVBI/AAAAAAAAAF8/ujPszX39rRc/Jordalen%20-%20tunnel%204.jpg?imgmax=512
http://lh6.google.com/arkanum57/RyRciyPeU_I/AAAAAAAAAFs/a21Nnkr5D1g/Jordalen%20-%20tunnel%206.jpg?imgmax=512

I guess such unlightened tunnels aren't a pleasant drive after sunset...

As promised, the next guide coming up.

E39 is a relatively new European route in Norway. It is made up from a bunch of older routes, E18, plus rv 1 (which in itself wasn’t very old, was rv 14 until the 90s) and parts of rv 71 and 65.

Vest-Agder

The route starts in Kristiansand, and the first couple of kms is a 4-lane expressway. After that, a few kms of bad old two-lane, then approx 20 of old 2-lane expressway. Then, an average 2-lane road for the next 50 kms, some stretches are decent, other steep, curvy and quite narrow. The next 20 kms is a brand new road, but there has been considerable criticism of this project, since its only 8.5 metres wide. Mainly a decent road from there to the Rogaland border, built in the 70s and 80s. Speed limits: 50-80 kph.
Plans? Several, most important is the new western link in Kristiansand – a motorway-stretch of about 20 kms. Outside Lyngdal, a new 2+1 expressway will replace the old, poor-quality 2-laner. 20+ years from now, we’ll hopefully see four lanes Kristiansand-Mandal and 2+1 for much of the rest.
Nature includes white sandy beaches, fjords and hills. Quite beautiful, really, and since it’s the southernmost region, you’ll might even get sun and 20+-centigrade bathing temperatures.

Rogaland

The E39 starts inland, and the road is pretty decent for the first 40 kms (one stretch used to be 90 kph), but there are also a few hamlets and villages. The next 35 cross a couple of low mountains, and the road is decent quality, even though there has been talk about removing the 90 kph stretches. But from Ålgård to Sandnes, it’s pretty crappy, a 2-lane urban road. Then, a few kms of 80s crowded 3-lane expressway takes you around Sandnes and eventually onto a proper 2x2 motorway the final 20 kms to Stavanger. However, it’s prone to jams, since it runs along the main oil industry area in Norway, and the off-ramps are no way near good enough to deal with traffic volumes. A stop-gap 2-/4-lane ring road takes you round the city centre and onto a decent 2-lane semi-urban highway. Then, 20 kms of mainly subaqueous tunnel take you to the ferry across Boknafjorden. The 40 kms on the other side is partly new, partly improved 2-lane highway. Speed limits: 50-90 kph.
Projects include 2+1 expressways in the southern part of the county, motorway from Ålgård to Sandnes (the bit around Sandnes is in construction, completion 2009, I think). Through Stavanger, a new motorway tunnel is in preparation, north of the city, a massive 25-km 2x2 tunnel is planned to replace the ferry. Also, the road north of the ferry will be improved, parts will possibly even be motorway. The latter projects, however, are at least beyond 2020.
Nature? Spectacular! Beaches, mountains, fjords, islands, fields…

Hordaland

First stretch is ok highway, then you enter an 8-km subaqueous tunnel with a new road link to the north. An older, suspect highway will take you the 30 kms along Stord island. From there, a pretty long ferry trip to the south of Bergen. The final 20 kms into Bergen is a mix of 2-lane bad urban road, decent 2-lane rural road, 2x2 motorway-style road, 2x2/2x3 expressway. Eventually, you go through a few roundabouts and traffic lights and end up in a huge intersection in the middle of Bergen. From there, a couple of 2x2 tunnels dump you onto 10 kms of motorway. Then, a 2-laner take you to the 2-lane Nordhordaland bridge. The final 70 kms is a mix of modern 2-lane roads, a few tunnels, truly bad 2- and even 1-lane stretches and basically everything in between… Speed limits, as usual between 50 and 90.
Some construction work is happening, parts of the worst stretch will be history this year. The southern link to Bergen – some 15 kms – (as well as the final stretch to the Nordhordaland bridge) will be motorway some time the next decade. Later, a tunnel (probably 2x3) will replace the roundabouts inside the city of Bergen. The ferry south of Bergen will be halved through a new road link sometime around 2013-15, and further into the future, the ferry might be replaced altogether by overland roads plus a bridge or tunnel link.
The nature in this part of Hordaland isn’t as spectacular as a few other places, but still a really nice combination of mountains, sea, forests and a bit of agricultural land.

Sogn og Fjordane

Looong time since I drove here, and there have been some improvements. But, AFAIK, the first few kms to the next ferry across Sognefjorden are 2-lane. The next 75 kms are a mix of newer and older 2-lane stretches, spiced with 1-lane bits and pieces. Some parts are steep, curvy as well as narrow. The next 70 kms is slightly better, but not great. The final 10-km stretch to the Nordfjord ferry is almost new and supposedly quality. The final 20 kms to the Møre og Romsdal border is 2-lane, but not in a good way. Speed limits from 50 to 80 kph.
Several projects, most spectacular a submerged tube across the 1.3-km-deep Sognefjord. Will probably never happen, though. More realistic are further improvements, particularly of the worst and 1-lane stretches. Also, the northern part will be rerouted through the construction of a brand new 20-km road further inland, crossing the Møre og Romsdal border in the process. But to make it really sensible, more new roads need to be built, including a bridge across Nordfjord. The first part will open 2010-12, the latter probably beyond 2020.
The nature along the route is spectacular (though more spectacular roads exist just round the corner); mountains, fjords, glaciers, meadows…

Møre og Romsdal

Early 90s last time I drove parts of this stretch of road as well, other parts I’ve driven quite recently. It’s a mix of really bad, 1-lane road, more or less decent 2-lane road and ferries. First bit is ok (also to be replaced by the abovementioned new road), then a short ferry. Next stretch is slightly better along a fjord to the next ferry, some 50 kms on. It’s worth noting that the world’s deepest subaqueous tunnel is part of a parallel route which eventually might become the new E39. Then, a bit of urban 2-laner with roundabouts and traffic lights, and then a pretty good road which at least used to be 90 kph. Ok for the next 50 kms as well, then the next, somewhat longer, ferry into Molde. Urban road through there as well, then an ok 2-lane overland stretch eventually dump you in a 40 (!) kph-zone. After that, some relatively new bridges and an ok older 2-laner take you the 25 kms to the final ferry. The final stretch mixes appalling with mediocre and ok. Speed limit: 40-90 kph.
Plans and projects are plenty. The worst stretches (1-lane etc) are being replaced as we speak, shorter improvements are due all over the place over the coming years. But more ambitious plans, where all the ferry links are to be replaced, do exist. These will probably not be realised until 2020-2025 or beyond, and most certainly not without substantial toll fees.
Nature? Still great, fjords, mountains, hills etc.

Sør-Trøndelag

This piece of road isn’t very long, only about 90 kms, but it nevertheless varies from 1-lane to 2-lane expressway the last 25 kms from Orkanger towards Trondheim (AADT varies from less than 500 to close to 10000…). Speed limit: 50-80 kph.
Plans include a rerouting at Orkanger to replace a steep and curvy piece of road, improvements of the road in other narrow places and a brand new junction with the E6 at Klett when the latter turns motorway in five years or so. Eventually, a dualling of the Klett-Orkanger stretch may become reality, but then we’re probably talking 25 years into the future.
The nature here isn't as spectacular as the one through the western part of the country, but a pleasant drive anyway.

I guess such unlightened tunnels aren't a pleasant drive after sunset...

The truth is that many tunnels are actually unlightened. Drive to Tafjord, you have to go through three longer tunnels, 5km long. They are old, small and unlightened, at least one 3km long tunnel is totally black.

Yes, but this road is very steep, with wet gravel/sand and one-lane! I've driven many weird roads in Norway, but this one is the wildest!

I guess such unlightened tunnels aren't a pleasant drive after sunset...
As mentioned above, there are quite a few unlit tunnels in Norway, although the one shown looked particularly old. Unlit tunnels are however of course most dangerous when the sun is still up, particularly if the sun is low, which is more often the case in Norway than most other countries due to the high latitude.

Yes, but this road is very steep, with wet gravel/sand and one-lane! I've driven many weird roads in Norway, but this one is the wildest!

Yeah of course, but thats not a main road either. I mentioned a bigger main road, with more traffic etc. and still unlightened. There is several cool roads like the one in Jordal, like older roads who were just made to make dams or so on mountains etc. Mountain road between Eikesdal and Sunndalsøra is pretty cool too, and inner Tafjord-roads up to the dam there.

List over road-constructionprojects U/C from dec 07 (Byggeindustrien)
Layout is:
Road completion year costs in million NOK contractor
E18 Bjørvika underwater concrete prefab tunnel 10 970 Skanska
E18 Sørenga Bjørvika concrete in place tunnel 10 950 AF Spesialprosjekt
E18 Havnelageret Bjørvika concrete in place tunnel 11 372 NCC
Jernbanetorget streetworks 08 107 Betonmast
Bjørvika streetworks 08 100 Oslo Vei
E6 motorway south 09 651 Mika
E6 motorway Gardermoen - Dal 09 521 Mesta
E16 Bærum motorway 08 451 Veidekke
E6/E18 uppgrade vinterbrosletta 09 122 Veidekke
E16 Bærum fase 3 08 108 Betonmast
Fornebu inner ringroad and vestern pendikular 08 65 Skanska
E6 motorway Skaberud - Kolomoen 09 470 Hæhre
E18 motorway Bommestad - Langåker 09 680 Skanska
Rv306 improved road Kirkebakken - Re 09 207 Isachsen
Color line terminal, Larvik 08 148 AF Gruppen
E6 motorway Solli - Alvim 08 306 Mesta
E6 motorway Svingenskogen - Solberg 08 248 Mesta
E6 Sannesund motorway bridge 08 283 Bilfinger Berger
E6 motorway Solberg - Årum 6,3km 08 220 Mesta
E18 motorway Momarken - Sekkelsten 08 105 Veidekke
E18 motorway directing Grimstad - Kristiansand 09 3300 Bilfinger Berger
E18 Roadworks in daysones 09 640 Meister GmbH
E18 7 tunnels 08 300 L. Nilsen & Sønner
E18 tunnel-elements 09 200 Ølen Betong
Rv465 Road improvement Hanesund - Sande 08 181 Mesta
Rv519 Finnfast underwater mountaintunnel 09 500 NCC
Bergen motorway Ringroad west Dolvik - Sandeide 10 600 Mesta
Halsnøysambandet Sunde - Tofte Underwater mountaintunnel 08 253 Veidekke
E39 Romarheimsdalen 6,5km road improvement 08 148 Mesta
Rv48 Helland - Havgårdsdalen road improvement 09 132 Kruse Smith
Rv13 Myrkdalstunnelen mountaintunnel 08 125 Kruse Smith
E39 Fjøsangerveien/Minde allé 2-level intersection 08 62 NCC
Rv5 Strøymsnestunnelen 2,6km mountaintunnel 09 160 Mika
E16 road improvement Voldum - Borlaug 08 146 Mika
Rv55 Fatlaberget 2,2km mountaintunnel 08 138 Mika
Rv53 Naustbukttunneln Mountaintunnel prolongation 09 80 Hæhre
Atlanterhavstunnelen underwater mountaintunnel 08 354 Mesta
Trondheim, Skansentunnelen - underwater prefab concretetunnel 08 261 Bilfinger Berger
E6 motorway Frøset - Sørlia 08 92 AF Grunnarbeid
E6 motorway Vist Frøset and Sørlia - Løsberga 08 58 Austad Maskinstasjon
Rv17 Tverlandet - Godøy road improvement 09 177 AF Anlegg
Fv347 Langfjorden Øst - Arnøya road improvement 08 107 Mesta

^^Impressive work, Ingeniøren!

For those of you that aren't that good in Norwegian geography, I have divided up the list in terms of regions:

Oslo/Akershus (capital area). Population 1.079M, area 5372 km^2

E18 Bjørvika underwater concrete prefab tunnel 10 970 Skanska
E18 Sørenga Bjørvika concrete in place tunnel 10 950 AF Spesialprosjekt
E18 Havnelageret Bjørvika concrete in place tunnel 11 372 NCC
Jernbanetorget streetworks 08 107 Betonmast
Bjørvika streetworks 08 100 Oslo Vei
E6 motorway south 09 651 Mika
E6 motorway Gardermoen - Dal 09 521 Mesta
E16 Bærum motorway 08 451 Veidekke
E6/E18 uppgrade vinterbrosletta 09 122 Veidekke
E16 Bærum fase 3 08 108 Betonmast
Fornebu inner ringroad and vestern pendikular 08 65 Skanska

Total investments: 4 417M, 4.1kkr per capita, 0.82 M per km^2

Rest of eastern Norway, population 1.283M, area 89 204 km^2

E6 motorway Skaberud - Kolomoen 09 470 Hæhre
E18 motorway Bommestad - Langåker 09 680 Skanska
Rv306 improved road Kirkebakken - Re 09 207 Isachsen
Color line terminal, Larvik 08 148 AF Gruppen
E6 motorway Solli - Alvim 08 306 Mesta
E6 motorway Svingenskogen - Solberg 08 248 Mesta
E6 Sannesund motorway bridge 08 283 Bilfinger Berger
E6 motorway Solberg - Årum 6,3km 08 220 Mesta
E18 motorway Momarken - Sekkelsten 08 105 Veidekke

Total investments: 2 667M, 2.1kkr per capita, 30 kkr per km^2

Soutern Norway (Agder), population 272k, area 16 433 km^2

E18 motorway directing Grimstad - Kristiansand 09 3300 Bilfinger Berger
E18 Roadworks in daysones 09 640 Meister GmbH
E18 7 tunnels 08 300 L. Nilsen & Sønner
E18 tunnel-elements 09 200 Ølen Betong
Rv465 Road improvement Hanesund - Sande 08 181 Mesta

Total investments: 4 621M, 17.0kkr per capita, 0.28 M kr per km^2!!

Total investments South-Eastern health region:11 705 M, 4.4 kkr per kapita, 105 kkr per km^2
(Population South-Eastern health region:2 633 M, area 111 009 km^2)

Western Norway, population 982k, area 43 461 km^2:

Rv519 Finnfast underwater mountaintunnel 09 500 NCC
Bergen motorway Ringroad west Dolvik - Sandeide 10 600 Mesta
Halsnøysambandet Sunde - Tofte Underwater mountaintunnel 08 253 Veidekke
E39 Romarheimsdalen 6,5km road improvement 08 148 Mesta
Rv48 Helland - Havgårdsdalen road improvement 09 132 Kruse Smith
Rv13 Myrkdalstunnelen mountaintunnel 08 125 Kruse Smith
E39 Fjøsangerveien/Minde allé 2-level intersection 08 62 NCC
Rv5 Strøymsnestunnelen 2,6km mountaintunnel 09 160 Mika
E16 road improvement Voldum - Borlaug 08 146 Mika
Rv55 Fatlaberget 2,2km mountaintunnel 08 138 Mika
Rv53 Naustbukttunneln Mountaintunnel prolongation 09 80 Hæhre

Total investments: 2 344M, 2.4kkr per capita, 54 kkr per km^2

Central Norway, population 660k, area 56 381 km^2:

Atlanterhavstunnelen underwater mountaintunnel 08 354 Mesta
Trondheim, Skansentunnelen - underwater prefab concretetunnel 08 261 Bilfinger Berger
E6 motorway Frøset - Sørlia 08 92 AF Grunnarbeid
E6 motorway Vist Frøset and Sørlia - Løsberga 08 58 Austad Maskinstasjon

Total investments: 765M, 1.2 kkr per capita, 14 kkr per km^2

Northern Norway, population 462 k, area 112 951 km^2

Rv17 Tverlandet - Godøy road improvement 09 177 AF Anlegg
Fv347 Langfjorden Øst - Arnøya road improvement 08 107 Mesta

Total investments: 284 M, 600 kr per capita, 2.5 kkr per km^2

Judging from this snap shot picture, it seems to me that Northern Norway is seriously ripped off at the moment, with only 600 kr per capita in U/C road works. Oslo get more than 7 times as much ON A PER CAPITA BASIS, although the distances are much higher up there and they have no railway. Also central Norway is seriously underfunded compared with other parts of the country. At the moment, Oslo/Akershus and especially Southern Norway (Agder) has all the fun. The Agder numbers are quite inflated at the moment, however, due E18 upgrade project. Although this is just a snap shot, it has been a general trend the last couple of decades that south/eastern Norway and in particular Oslo/Akershus has aquired more and more of the road money, western Norway has got some, whereas central/Northern Norway is getting less.

PS: Ingeniøren: Is there a difference between "Construction Engineer", and "Civil Engineer", which is the term I am used to?

A huge mud/clay slide barred the entire E18 motorway south of Drammen today:
http://gfx.dagbladet.no/pub/artikkel/5/52/529/529511/FolvikXXXras_960_1205338889_1205338906.jpg
Luckily, nobody was hurt.

^^ Wow, a European route to be blocked like that...

Yeah. A lot of stuff has happened on E18 the last few years..

The Agder numbers are quite inflated at the moment, however, due E18 upgrade project.

Don't forget that most of those money comes from toll-roads! And roads in Agder has been underfunded, even by Norwegian standards, for decades!

Oh yeah, poor Minister of Infrastructure really has a lot of problems to deal with! This has become quite common in the last few years this same road had a tunnel collapse and the whole fundament of the highway E39 in western part of the country slided down a slope, also fundaments for E6 in Sweden collapsed not so long ago.

A Civil Engineer is an engineer with at least a 5 year Master of Technology degree, can be any kind of engineer(Constructions, Machines, Chemicals, Electricity etc.) The program i'm doing in Oslo is only a 3 year Bachelor degree, so when i graduate i will only get the title Professional Engineer.

Very interesting to see the numbers per kapita like that, 54°26′S 3°24′E! Note that the list is only the major construction contracts, but it gives you an idea on how road-investments in Norway is divided. And i think it's all wrong that the regions with the best roads get the most money, driving in Oslo is not necessary for very many of those who drive, i'm crossing the fingers for a different infrastructure plan for Oslo with a rushhour fee, and more money to metro, tram and train! (not likely to happend) Also note that almost all projects are either important motorways near the big cities, tunnelprojects are usually for safety from falling rocks wich is a major problem in Norway and fjord-crossings. I really would like to see important regional roads get improved, especially the mountain-crossings who close far to often during the winter.

Actually also another European route was closed in Norway yesterday, the E10 close to Reine in Lofoten (admittedly of far less importance than the E18 south of Drammen) was closed due to falling rocks:
http://www.adressa.no/multimedia/archive/00988/RasmannStj_rdal_988398b.jpg

PS, Ingeniøren, this is the definition of "civil engineer" according to webster:
": an engineer whose training or occupation is in the design and construction especially of public works (as roads or harbors)" The Norwegian/Swedish "sivilingeniør"-title has caused a bit of confusion......

Very interesting to see thos statistics on investments per cap. 54°26′S 3°24′E! And it doesn't look like neither Northern Norway or Central Norway will go up in new investments the next few years, since they just recently gave up many great ideas with E6 Stjørdal-Steinkjer. Soem more expencive projects around Trondheim, and i really wonder if they ever will continue on new E6 south between Trondheim and Støren.

People is getting killed by slides on Norwegian roads every year, but it can't be too long till we get a bigger slide-disaster which claims many more lifes since the security is pretty bad on many roads.

^^ Wow, that's what I call a cool picture!

http://www.adressa.no/multimedia/archive/00988/RasmannStj_rdal_988398b.jpg

These rocks surely scared the shit out of that guy in the RAV4 :)

Found a video showing how the new E18 motorway Grimstad - Kristiansand is progressing. Some stretches will open already in a few months, and the road will be completed summer 2009. http://www.fvn.no/trafikk/article573057.ece

Nice video. Lots of bridges and tunnels. Funny that i can read Norwegian pretty good.

Found a video showing how the new E18 motorway Grimstad - Kristiansand is progressing. Some stretches will open already in a few months, and the road will be completed summer 2009. http://www.fvn.no/trafikk/article573057.ece

I'm looking very much forward for the completion of this road, will make the ride down to my parents so much better!:)

Funny that i can read Norwegian pretty good.
Norwegians understand some dutch too, there are alot of similarities :)

http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783529_3712.jpg
Starts in Festningstunnelen who leads E18 under Akershus fortress and central parts of the city.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783448_7145.jpg
Here's a part of E18 who runs right trough the heart of Oslo, the Stock-exchange can be seen to the left and behind that, Norways 2. highest building.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783449_7453.jpg
The road gives the drivers nice views. Central station to the right.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783450_7774.jpg
Oslos new Opera house:
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783451_8091.jpg
This is the most traficated piece of road in Norway and is often congested. I don't use E18 from here. Even tough there is 2 exit lanes, there's no E18 motorway, just a narrow street along the fjord with numerous stop-lights wich is congested all the time except at night.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783452_8407.jpg
Instead i follow signs towards Trondheim, in 2 years the Festningstunnel and Ekebergtunnel under this bridge will be connected trough a sinking-tunnel under the fjord. The concrete tower will send the pollution high above the city. Info about the tunnel-project in English: http://www.vegvesen.no/cs/Satellite?c=Page&cid=1178869639412&pagename=VPBjorvika%2FPage%2FVPside
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783453_8727.jpg
Inside Ekeberg-tunnel i take an exit ramp badly signed only with Ryen wich is the name of an E6 intersection. It leads to a big round-about above E6 - don't think there are any plans of adding another level to this intersection.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783454_9056.jpg
And then we are on E6, this is not a motorway, but still it has grade intersections and exit-numbers.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783455_9381.jpg
Toll plaza for cars coming into Oslo, there is no way of avoiding toll for cars entering the city. I don't know if they bill foreigners tough. It's fully automatic, if you don't have a discount-chip, they send a bill to the owner of the car. Incomes goes to finance road projects in Oslo-area, but also public transportation.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783456_9702.jpg
Lots of commuter trafic out of Oslo at this time a day, about 4 pm. But usually this road floats.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783457_30.jpg
Oslo - Akershus border. Here the motorway starts and one can drive at 90km/h! In the early 90'ies this road was built as a 2 lane motortraficway - they did that a lot back then, and 3 years ago they added another 2 lanes. This is how we have built motorways in many parts of the country instead of building it all at once:ohno: All of E6 motorway in Østfold except for a few kms is adding 2 lanes to existing road.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783458_358.jpg
Old bridge to the right, new bridge to the left.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783459_686.jpg
They also had to move the powerlines when adding the extra lanes;P The earth-centrepiece is not typical.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783460_1014.jpg
Only after a few kms we loose one lane. Next stretch will be the last one to get 4 lanes finished on Oslo - Sweden stretch of E6, in fall 2009. Congestions are frequent on this stretch.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783461_1358.jpg
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783462_1689.jpg
Here they store tunnel-elements, for most of the new motorway will be a tunnel.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783463_2033.jpg
Tunnel starts here, but it's driven from the middle only. We don't use TBM, only explosives.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783464_2371.jpg
Digging right by the road:
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783465_2716.jpg
Stoneslide-nett:
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783466_3063.jpg
This type of road uses the same blue signs as motorways:
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783467_3416.jpg
This round-about is constructed for the tunnelcontractor:
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783468_3771.jpg
Another round-about, this will only be a local road-system in 2009. Bridge in the background is E18.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783469_4127.jpg
Here will be the other end of the tunnel:
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783470_4477.jpg
E18 leaves towards the east. Some parts of this road is motorway, but many parts are not - and it will be long before it is.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783471_4839.jpg
One of many tunnels, even in flat parts of Norway they are everywhere:
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783472_5200.jpg
This part of motorway has been here since i was a little boy:
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783473_5560.jpg
South of that is a motorway about 10 years old built in one piece, at the same time they built a new dual railtrack next to it=)
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783474_5926.jpg
Sonsveien station:
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783475_6292.jpg
Toll, income goes to pay for the E6 motorway, on most of the stretch state money also contributes:
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783476_6659.jpg
Here one can pay to a person, use automatic chip or trow in a basket - this is Østfold - Akershus border:
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783477_7026.jpg
The first part of motorway to be built in Østfold county, 3 years ago - since that stretches of a few kms has be opened every year.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783478_7437.jpg
The Moss - Horten ferry is a short-cut to Vestfold, and is the most heavy traficated ferry in Norway.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783479_7814.jpg
The tree gets illuminated at night, there used to be a lit horseman in the rock a few kms from here, but it distracted drivers to much, so it was removed. Art-pieces along the road are becoming very common - think it is the make drivers happy or maybe to keep them awake.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783481_8572.jpg
Rygge airport opened this year with cheap international flights:
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783491_7561.jpg
Note the fence, called Egg-cutters, motorcyclist has managed to get them prohibited on new roads:
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783492_7836.jpg
Moose cross-over. We have a hard time with mooses getting lost inside the motorway fencing on this stretch. This stretch also feutures a frog-tunnel.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783493_8081.jpg
Fredrikstad-exit:
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783494_8370.jpg
Signes for acceleration-lane:
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783495_8626.jpg
Typical wooden bridge, here motorway ends for now. But all the way trough Østfold will be completed by fall this year:
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783496_8880.jpg
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783497_9143.jpg
30kms of roadworks...
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783498_9405.jpg
New tube of Eidet tunnel, in this stretch road is only 10 years old. Thanks to planners not planning for the future, this stretch will be 2+3 lanes.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783499_9678.jpg
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783500_9950.jpg
Here we are driving on the new road, while the old gets upgraded. Norway is the only country i know, where the whole motorway system has streetlights. Belgium is pretty close. If anyone knows a country, please say=P
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783501_213.jpg
Here E6 passes trough Sarpsborg, a town in the heavily populated lower Glomma river area. Here the roads are mostly congested because there are to few bridges across the river.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783502_476.jpg
South of Sarpsborg, the road is completed - only a few bridges are still being worked on. This stretch will open in 2 months.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783503_748.jpg
While this stretch will open this fall:
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783504_1020.jpg
This stretch opened last year:
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783505_1295.jpg
Road-side art:
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783506_1570.jpg
This is Rv21, main route into Halden. It is about 6 kms long and has 5 speedcamera boxes!
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783507_1853.jpg
A bikepath will soon go alongside this road, in the background is Norways 3.highest building in the huge Nexans cable factory:
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783508_2137.jpg
Local road in Halden from the 60's, as everything else in the 60's, way to big!
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783509_2426.jpg

^^ Thx for the photos!

Toll plaza for cars coming into Oslo, there is no way of avoiding toll for cars entering the city. I don't know if they bill foreigners tough. It's fully automatic, if you don't have a discount-chip, they send a bill to the owner of the car. Incomes goes to finance road projects in Oslo-area, but also public transportation.
http://photos-116.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v233/117/70/680882116/n680882116_783456_9702.jpg

So thats where my 300 and something will go to then... Arrived to the toll station back in october, with 8kr and a 500kr money in my pocket, so i put my 8kr and drove of before those gangster looking-guys in the car behind me would shoot me or something for been slow! Fucking tolls, already payed for two other unpayed tolls lasy summer! :bash:

Some of us have been talking about the notorious unreliability of traffic growth predictions made by the Norwegian Road Autorities. Now, they themselves have evaluated a few, newish road projects. This is what they found:

23 - Oslofjord tunnel: Opening year, predicted AADT: 4240, actually 3780. 5 years on, predicted 4545, actually 5252.
E18 - Rannekleiv-Temse: Opening year, predicted AADT: 8232, actually 10242. 5 years on, predicted 8634, actually 11616.
714 Hitra-Frøya tunnel: Opening year, predicted AADT: 353, actually 512. 5 years on, predicted 367, actually 1003.
E134 Teigeland-Håland: Opening year, predicted AADT: 1000, actually 1367. 5 years on, predicted 1050, actually 1500.
62 - Øksendal tunnel: Opening year, predicted AADT: 1386, actually 1345. 5 years on, predicted 1454, actually 1664.
E8 - Nordkjosbotn-Langvassbukt: Opening year, predicted AADT: 2300, actually 2400. 5 years on, predicted 2400, actually 2800.
E18 - Gutu-Helland-Kopstad: Opening year, predicted AADT: 12000, actually 16700. 5 years on, predicted 12400, actually 18300.
E39 - Kleivedammen-Andenes: Opening year, predicted AADT: 686, actually 924. 5 years on, predicted 722, actually 1130.

These are very different road projects, motorways, tunnels, ordinary highways located in very different regions (north, south east and west...). Some are tolled, some not, some are along trunk routes, some not. The only thing they have in common is that the predicted amout of traffic is much too low.

An example of the consequenses: If the predictions state an AADT of 7000 in the calculation year (usually 30 years from opening), a 10-m expresssway will be built. At 9000, the width increases to 12.5/14.5 m including a central barrier, and at, say 13000, we'll most likely get a narrow profile motorway, 19-22 metres wide. So these predictions most certainly have an impact on road construction.

Found a nice video of the E10 on the Lofoten Islands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-2AJgC8Mww&feature=related

That's an E road? :D J/k, great find! :cheers2: Yesterday I saw a Norwegian license plate, I only see that once a year or even more rarely.

I've never seen an Norwegian licence plate here in the Netherlands. But what the heck would they like to do here anyway, this country is just way too busy. :)

^^ There is a lot of Norwegians in Amsterdam I know, but we use KLM :D I think most Norwegians travel by air if we are going south of Denmark. A lot of us even take the plain to Copenhagen.

The most long distance license plates I've seen driving around Stockholm are Turkey (a truck though) and Portugal. :)

There are actually quite a few transportation businesses who travel between Scandinavia and Iberia daily. (ofcourse not in one day :D)

Yeah, trucks from Spain I've seen a few times, but actually never a regular car. Never seen a truck from Portugal, but it was nifty seeing a regular car from there. It was parked by a mall here in my suburb. :lol:

A LOT of Dutch cars here though.

Norway is said to be a popular emigration country, together with Sweden. It's not so crowded as the Netherlands.

A LOT of Dutch cars here though.

Yes, NL and G is the most regular cars to see around,togather with Sweden of course. Never see a Danish car here.

@ Chriszwolle, do you mean immigration? Isn't emigration the other way around, people leaving one country? As far as i know we're a popular immigration country, not emigration. :)

And yes, Norwegians do not drive down to Europe, we take the plane since its cheaper, faster and easier. The only few i hear who drive to Europe is the speed-freaks who have the German Autobahn as their big mission in life! :D

@ Jeroen669, Nice video, that shows how about all coastal roads is like in Norway, at least from Trøndelag (Trondheim) and north. Don't know how its further south ince i haven't been much around. I am now talking about the first 4min, and last 2min of the video, before and after he got to that luxurious highway-roads with 80km/h speed limit.

Since i've been working on transport on the coast driving bigger trucks i can tell you that its messy! The coast is starting to gain major tourists from esp. Germany and The Netherlands, and they come here with huge camping cars/trucks and gets totally stuck on the coastal roads by their big surprise. The roads are so narrow you have to stop everytime you meet a car, and usually you have to back up to someplace where the road is big enough to room two cars by side. That is not easy for trucks and larger vehicles. And it seems like most tourists have no idea the quality of roads is as bad as it is since its Norway. But if all roads started to look like the highway on Lofoten (which many do) it will get much better, even though it sucks driving through all the tunnels and miss the great scenery.

My advise, if you are going to the coast, go with a smaller car, then you might find many of the older roads drivable. Much nicer to be driving there so you get to see the nature even though the road sucks.

Yes, NL and G is the most regular cars to see around

Gabon? :D

Do most people in Norway get a set of snow tires for their cars?

You can't drive in Scandinava without snow tires during the winter. Most have stubs as well, and many in the north use chains too.

What about spikes?

What about spikes?

Well, spiked tyres are quite common, but increasingly unpopular, especially in urban areas (you have to pay a "spiked tyre toll" to drive into Oslo, for instance). Winter tyres are an absolute necessity.

I heard because of the bad weather conditions the tourist season is always very short. Some roads aren't even open before half June. :(

^^ That's also the fact in Switzerland. Most higher passes are not open until June.

They say it's generally recommended to take snow chains with you, even in June if you are travelling to northern Scandinavia or mountainous areas.

I've got 4-season tyres under my car. They probably will not be good enough during a scandinavian winter, but during summer it will satisfie, won't it? Haven't got snow chains either btw...

Me neither, and i don't have winter tyres too. There is almost no winter in NL, so i don't need them that much.

You can't drive in Scandinava without snow tires during the winter. Most have stubs as well, and many in the north use chains too.What about spikes?What's the difference?

Gabon? :D

lol, i ment D! :D

D = Germany?
De = Denmark?

Right? or was it the other way around...

What about spikes?

Yes thats the most common here, though you have to pay an extra tax for driving it in cities due to enviromental issues. Spikes creates a lot of dangerous pollution of driving on clear asphalt. And since they salt the roads in the cities and highways the polution can get bad.

On the countryside we also keep chains in the cars during winter, but we usually don't use them on the cars unless we're all stuck in the snow.

Mountain-passes is been cleared nowadays. They only manage to hold a few of the biggest roads open during winter, so many have to be cleared. They start clearing these roads in early April usually, and most are clear till end of may, with exeptions of the smaller roads which isn't open till mid June. Across Haukelifjell (a Oslo-Bergen rout) they reported some 15m snow on the road, while they have 7m snow on the road across Valdres!