Vestland approves NOK 2 billion bridge to island

Vestland county council has given the green light to the Atløysambandet. The project, which includes three bridges and a new county road, carries a revised price tag of more than NOK 2 billion.

After years of campaigning, the island of Atløy in Askvoll municipality is getting its fixed link to the mainland. Vestland county council voted on Tuesday to approve the Atløysambandet project, with a revised cost frame exceeding NOK 2 billion.

The project includes three bridges and an extension of the county road with a combined pedestrian and cycle path on both the mainland and the islands. The largest bridge is planned to span approximately 900 metres across Granesundet.

The original budget stood at around NOK 1.8 billion, but the tender process revealed the final cost would be higher. Financing relies heavily on the state’s ferry replacement scheme, which contributes nearly NOK 18 million per year over 45 years.

The county council also identified three areas for improvement to the scheme: changes to the interest compensation arrangement, the ability to recalculate ferry replacement funds after the initial cost estimate, and adjustments to the annual index.

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