On Friday at 09:00, the state budget for 2024 was presented by Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum (Sp). The main figures for transport break down as follows: There is an increase of NOK 8 billion from the balanced budget in 2023, writes the Ministry of Transport in a press release. This is a growth of 9.7 per cent. – We are taking a new approach to transport and are working to tie the whole country together. We want to create safe and predictable framework conditions both for those who transport themselves to and from work and school and for the business world, says Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård. He highlights three main initiatives in the budget proposal: Three national highway projects: E134 Røldal-Seljestad, E134 Oslofjord connection and E6 Megården-Sommerset. Heavy investment in aviation with FOT routes and reduction of prices for the districts. Investment in town and city growth. Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård calls the proposal for the state budget an ambitious investment in transport. Photo: Christine Breivik Øen The government wants to increase the allocation for road purposes by NOK 3.3 billion. This means 36.5 billion to the Norwegian Public Roads Administration and 6.5 billion to Nye veier AS. 9.7 billion is set aside for the operation and maintenance of European roads and national roads. Splits the E6 project in Sørfold in Nordland into two. Will allocate 6.5 billion to Nye veier AS. Among other things, they must prioritize how much money goes to the new road from Dombås to Åndalsnes. Work continues on the E8 Sørbotn-Laukslett in Tromsø. Improvement of national highway 45 between KristiaKristiansandvik in Agder. Final settlement for the E69 Skarvbergtunnel project in Porsanger. The government also proposes to continue the scheme of halving ferry fares and free ferries in 2024. Stad ship tunnel: The government will announce a tender and put around NOK 130 million into the pot for preparations and implementation of the tender. Storting politician and Frp’s transport policy spokesperson, Frank Sve, is strongly critical of the government’s priorities on the road network. – It is madness not to build the safest roads. Last year, for the first time since 2016, we saw an increase in the number of people killed in traffic. The government is not addressing this, but will build less safe roads next year, he writes in a press release. Sve is referring in particular to E16 Skaret-Hønefoss and E39 Veibust-Blindheim-Moa. CRITICAL: FRP’s transport policy spokesperson Frank Sve believes the government should have provided funding for more four-lane roads. Photo: Stortinget / Stortinget – Some of Norway’s most dangerous roads are not mentioned in the national budget in one word. This appears to be directly dangerous to traffic, he writes. Nygård points out that the government invests in those projects that have been fully planned and are at the top of the National Transport Plan (NTP). He also points out that E16 is part of the joint project with Ringeriksbanen. – There is a clear order from the Storting that we should assess that project in connection with NTP. It will not be a likely outcome that there will be money for it in this state budget, because the NTP comes next year. He also points out that the pot for operation and maintenance is also of great importance for safety and accessibility on our roads. Start-up of new E6 route in Nordland Before the state budget was launched, it became clear that the government is prioritizing three national road projects: New E6 route in Nordland, the tunnel project between Røldal and Seljestad on the E134 in Vestland and construction stage 2 of the E134 Oslofjord connection in Akershus. – That we can now get this project started is important in order to connect southern and northern Norway in a safe way, said Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum (Sp) in August. It was then that the government declared that they would spend NOK 4 billion on a new road between Megården and Sommerset in Sørfold, Nordland. The existing E6 route connects Northern Norway with the rest of the country. When it is closed, there is no real detour – I’m glad I wasn’t a driver, said Trygve Slagsvold Vedum after a lorry trip on the road in 2020. In addition, the low, dark and narrow tunnels on the route do not meet the safety requirements that apply today . The plans to fix this have been ready for many years, but a tightening of the budget last year due to the war in Ukraine meant that development was put on hold. If the government gets its way, the first shovel will be in the ground next year. New tunnel in Vestland The planned tunnel on the E134 will save those traveling between Røldal and Seljestad in Ullensvang municipality about a thousand meters of altitude gain. Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård (Ap) believes it is important to tie “Eastern Norway and Western Norway closer together”. But the heavy transport industry has demanded such a tunnel for a number of years due to the steep rise on both sides of Røldalsfjellet. The Røldal tunnel at the very top of the mountain road is narrow and prone to condensation. Photo: Statens vegvesen The project, like the Nordland route, was put on hold due to the financial situation last year, and has a cost frame of NOK 4.9 billion. This is NOK 1.1 billion more than the Norwegian Public Roads Administration estimated in March. New run in the Oslofjord tunnel Nygård also promised news in August that the work to expand the Oslofjord tunnel would start next year. A preliminary calculation of how much the project will cost has increased from NOK 6.5 to 7 billion. How much of this frame the government will cover this year has not been specified. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration writes on its website that “the biggest problem with the Oslofjord Tunnel is that it has to close far too often”. The tunnel is part of the E134 and runs between Drøbak and Hurum. It will take little for the Oslofjord tunnel to be closed, according to the Swedish Road Administration. Photo: Live Marie Hagen Wold / news The government is prioritizing NOK 32.3 billion for railway purposes. They want to distribute it as follows: NOK 8.6 billion for renewal and maintenance of the railway network. NOK 5.4 billion for the purchase of passenger transport services. Electrification of the Meråkerbanen and Trønderbanen up to Stjørdal NOK 500 million for the development of continuous double tracks between Arna and Bergen on Vossebana. NOK 150 million in subsidy scheme until the Dovrebanen is opened for direct traffic. Quarterly departures for the local trains between Arna and Bergen on Vossebana. The regional trains on the Gjøvik Line will run every hour. Faster journeys and more departures on intercity routes in Eastern Norway. It involves: Sandbukta–Moss–Såstad on the Østfold line, Drammen–Kobbervikdalen and Nykirke–Barkåker on the Vestfold line and Kleverud–Sørli–Åkersvika on the Dovre line. As is well known, the government is setting aside NOK 300 million to continue working on the joint Arna-Stanghelle project on the E16 and new railway. The project will have a total cost of NOK 30 billion. StortinStorting politician member of the finance committee, Sveinung Rotevatn from Venstre, reacts to the government not putting more money into the pot for maintenance: – The government is proposing a budget in which the maintenance backlog will increase. This means that we will have a more dilapidated railway network. This in turn means more signal errors and delays and more buses for trains. Allocating money for maintenance appears boring, but it is very important, he says. CRITICAL: Sveinung Rotevatn (V) reacts to the government not spending more money on maintaining the railway network. Photo: ISMAIL BURAK AKKAN / news – We have planned for rational progress on the ongoing projects, but it is true that we still have a challenge with increasing maintenance backlogs on the railway, says Transport Minister Nygård. He points out that they are working to target maintenance efforts better than before and that they are looking at how this should be done in the future. The government proposes NOK 5.2 billion for aviation purposes in 2024. This includes: NOK 1.9 billion for FOT routes. NOK 2.9 billion for a new airport in Mo i Rana and relocation of Bodø Airport.
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The government will spend money on this – news Vestland
