Today, Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård (Ap) came to Nordland to tell that Skanska will build the so-called “mining shaft road” through Sørfold. But he had no new promises to the E10 in Lofoten and E6 in Saltdal with him. Last week, heavy boulders crashed out on the E10, which is the only continuous road connection in Lofoten. A car was caught in the crash, and the driver had to be picked up – but was not injured in all. Vidar Thom Benjaminsen (H), mayor of the municipality of Vågan wants a tunnel through the mountain that erupted. – You get shocked. This is the very main road between Svolvær and Leknes, and there is no detour. You have to take a boat, fly or walk across the mountain. Half Lofoten was isolated after a huge rock race thundered down on the E10 last week. Photo: Odd-Roger Warberg/The Norwegian Public Roads Administration He thinks the money for transport comes more easily in more central areas, compared to the districts. – It’s just to look at the statistics where the money ends up. Not only Lofoten, but the whole of Northern Norway comes out poorly compared to both square meters and inhabitants. – What consequences can it have? – We saw it recently. It’s just luck that there is no life. – Must wait residents and tourists must consider waiting up to 10 years before they can drive safely on the roads, we believe the Minister of Transport. -This is a project that is discussed in the National Transport Plan, but there are several projects to be completed first, such as Lofast and the Napp-Yo section, says Jon-Ivar Nygård. – You are almost lucky that this happened in April, it is now that there are the fewest tourists. Had this happened in the middle of the summer, the chance that more cars could be taken out of race. Lofoten is vulnerable, and especially the areas where you have no detour. Photo: Sofie Retterstøl Olaisen / news Sørelva-Borkamo 30 miles further south is a “forgotten” E6 route that has not been upgraded since until World War II. The 25 -kilometer stretch between the South River and Borkamo does not have a mid -strip and is narrow, unclear with steep climbs and many turns. Originally, the road piece was inside the National Transport Plan that applied from 2018-2023. The Roads Administration had a pot -clear project, and only an external quality assurance of costs, as well as a tender process, remained before the shovel could be put into the soil. Narrow E6 through Øvre Saltdal: From driving in the 90 zone over the Salt Mountain, motorists must slow down when the road suddenly turns into a peat path further down in Saltdal. Photo: Bente H Johansen / news But it did not go that way. In 2021, the Solberg government decided to transfer the E6 Sørelva-Borkamo project from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration to the company Nye Veier AS. It was planned for construction on the Sørelva-Borkamo section as early as the same year. But nothing happened, and two years later it became clear that New Roads dropped to build a new E6 in Saltdal. The state road company New Roads formally adopt the construction of the E6 from the Sørelva to Borkamo in Saltdal in Nordland. The contract had an estimated value of 700 million, and came shortly after New Roads took over the route. All documents of the pot -ready project are handed over to new roads. In connection with the development of the Tjernfjell tunnel, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration used the rock masses from there on a new route on the E6 Sørelva. Large parts of the new route have thus been completed, and the stretch of road is in this way begun before New Roads took over the responsibility. New Roads postpone two projects due to an “unclear market situation”. The war in Ukraine gets a lot of blame, and the company must reconsider the projects. The government proposes to allocate NOK 6.1 billion to new roads in the state budget for 2023. But it should not go that way. New Roads are struggling with liquidity and receives an extra 2 billion from the state due to cost increases in the projects they are assigned. E6 in Saltdal Nordland is postponed indefinitely, while E39 between Mandal-Lyngdal is prioritized in the autumn of 2023. Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård (Ap) states that the project is transferred new roads to the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. But in the last part of the planning period. Show more Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård (Ap) responded by giving the road project back to the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. “We are now cleaning up, and will make sure the road is built,” Storting representative and parliamentary leader in Ap, Bjørnar Skjæran said. In a reader letter in Nord-Salten Avis, he wrote this about the predecessors of the Solberg government. Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård (Ap) and parliamentary representative and parliamentary leader Bjørnar Skjæran (Ap) visited Bodø today. Photo: Bente Harriet Johansen / news “Throughout these years I think this is the most meaningless and scandalous I have witnessed road choices for road construction.” Last fall, it became clear that the road can be postponed 10 new years. – What was the point of taking the project back from New Roads if it wasn’t meant to start? -Sørelva-Borkamo, will be realized during the planning period, which extends over 12 years. This project is not so ripe that it is ready for start-up in the first years. But that does not mean that it should not be built. It is a clear and clear priority for it to be built, says Jon-Ivar Nygård. Bjørnar Skjæran was also present at the press conference in Bodø today. He maintains the criticism of the previous government. – There is a stain in Norwegian road history. The road project is now a little later in the planning period, but the project will be realized later, he says. The stretch between Sørelva and Borkamo is categorized as dangerous by both locals and politicians. Today’s road prevents a continuous and efficient trunk road network in the region. Waited in 40 years Mayor Runar Løvdal Jensen in Saltdal has previously expressed his dissatisfaction that the road is not already completed. He believes it is wise that the Norwegian Public Roads Administration is again responsible, while responding that it may take another 12 years before there is a new road in place. – It’s too long. The project has been crazy for a long time, he tells news and adds: – We know that there is a stretch of a lot of accidents. We cannot help go life. Photo: Bente Harriet Johansen / news The mayor also emphasizes the road we are talking about is the link between the north and the south in Norway, and that it is especially important in a war perspective. When asked if he does not understand that it must be prioritized very hard, also in Northern Norway, the mayor replies:-Everything is about priorities. We know that the tunnels in Sørfold need to do something about it, I am glad to be addressed. At the same time, Sørelva Borkamo is one of the smallest road projects on hold. He adds: – This should have been done very, very long ago. We have been working on it soon for 40 years. Could have been completed today New Roads do not disregard that the E6 in Saltdal could have been started today if it had not been removed from their portfolio. This is what Director of Communications Christian Altmann tells news. Christian Altmann, communications director at Nye Veier AS-if Sørelva-Borkamo could have been started now, I cannot answer safely. But that’s an exciting question. -We have prioritized Northern Norway, and completed the E6 Kvænangsfjellet in a short time-without having received our own funds for this. Sørelva Borkamo was one of several projects postponed at that time. Several of these we have moved on, such as the E6 Berkåk-Vindåsliene, E6 Storhove Islands, Rv13 Skare-Sogndal and E39 Mandal-Lyngdal start construction this summer. It may be an answer, says Altmann. Published 28.04.2025, at. 17.34 Updated 28.04.2025, at. 20.20
ttn-69
