Ferry-free E39 project costs rise

22/04/2025, 10:29

Image courtesy of Statens vegvesen/COWI

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration has submitted plans for the 55 km E39 Ådland-Svegatjørn highway project between Stord and Os. Highlights include a 5.5 km floating bridge across Bjørnafjord – set to be the world’s longest

Dan Görgü

However, the updated cost estimate is now NOK 53.7 billion, up around NOK 7.4 billion from initial projections due to factors like increased road width, interchange requirements and higher unit pricing. Cost-saving measures like reducing tunnels were implemented to partially offset the increases. The ferry-free four-lane highway aims to cut travel times south of Bergen by an hour once completed.

Billion-kroner highway to feature record-breaking floating span

A 55 km four-lane highway project between Stord and Os in western Norway has been proposed, featuring a 5.5 km floating bridge across Bjørnafjord that would be the world’s longest of its kind. The NOK 53.7 billion Norwegian Public Roads Administration plan aims to provide a ferry-free E39 route and reduce travel times by an hour. However, the cost has risen around NOK 7.4 billion from initial estimates due to factors like wider road requirements and previously unaccounted interchanges. Some tunnels were scaled back to save around NOK 1.5 billion during regulatory plan development.