In a revised national budget, the Norwegian government and the Socialist Left Party have agreed on the government's proposal for investment in road maintenance.
Heikki Eidsvoll Holmås, chief executive of Norway’s construction and civil engineering association EBA, says the €103 million allocated means the level of road maintenance of national roads is high enough to not increase the need for maintenance. EBA also hopes that in the next state budget similar funding will be allocated for the maintenance of railways and county roads.
According to a recent report by the Office of the Auditor General (Riksrevisjonen), despite more road maintenance, highways are no safer nor more environmentally friendly than before. The report from the said maintenance of the country's roads has increased significantly in the past few years but improvements have been few and far between.
Meanwhile, a consortium of Metrostav Norway and Bertelsen & Garpestad have won the main contract for a section of the E8 highway between Sørbotn and Laukslett. The project includes 10km of new road, an 870m-long bridge across the Ram Fjord as well as several smaller bridges. Construction is expected to start at the beginning of next year and end in July 2026.
