This summer it turned out that the long-planned cycle route between Stavanger and Sandnes would cost just over NOK 1.9 billion. The budget then had a gap of NOK 382 million. The galloping costs made the county politicians furious. Spending was now to be severely tightened. But four months later, the conclusion is this: No one has managed to rein in costs to any particular extent. The cycle path is now expected to cost NOK 1.880 billion. The budget gap is NOK 355 million. On Wednesday, the steering group for the toll ring on Nord-Jæren will decide how to finance the cost increase. Money will probably have to be moved from other budget items to the cycleway’s budget. The cycle path Illustration: The Swedish Road Administration will prioritize even harder County politician Alexander Rügert-Raustein in the Green Party (MDG) is a staunch defender of the cycle path. He believes that other road projects must be downgraded. County politician Alexander Rügert-Raustein in the Green Party (MDG) Photo: Anders Haualand / news – We have a zero growth target that is falling apart. Traffic is now one percent above the target already, and rising. Then we have to take money away from the road projects, which are counterproductive and contribute to increased traffic, he says. However, he believes there is little political will to do just that. – The probability of a political majority taking responsibility for the zero growth target in the region is very low. It is the greens who take responsibility, everyone else follows suit. County politician Pål Morten Borgli in the FRP is of a completely different opinion. He believes the cycleway goes beyond other and more important projects. – Someone needs to check their calculators, because this was a project that at the time was supposed to cost 200 million. So we pass 2 billion quite immediately. These sums are not something we should be aware of. Thinks the Swedish Road Administration must be replaced Borgli thinks it’s time to get rid of the Swedish Road Administration. County politician in Rogaland and deputy mayor of Sandnes, Pål Morten Borgli (Frp). Photo: Eirik Gjesdal / news – It is possible to build just as well, but much cheaper. If the National Roads Administration is unable to get the calculators to work as the politicians want, I think it might be okay to say that someone else has to take care of this. According to Borgli, the spending cannot be defended in any way. – There are so few cyclists on the road that you can hire people to carry them on that stretch. We should have finished, had the bikes on the road and the price far below half of what we see today, he says. Tone Oppedal is department director in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. She says that the Swedish Road Administration has brought in two external companies to look at opportunities for cuts that they themselves have not picked up on. Department director in transport west of the transport and society division in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Tone Oppedal. Photo: Knut Opeide / Knut Opeide – It’s not nice when a project becomes more expensive than what was previously said, she says. She believes there are good reasons why the project has become more expensive, and says the Swedish Road Administration is the right player to carry out the project. – I think the Norwegian Road Administration should be able to pull this through.
ttn-69
Unable to get rid of staggering budget gap for “bicycle highway” in Rogaland – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
