New Norwegian road firm being formed

A new road company is being established in Norway. The country’s government made the decision to form the new firm, which will be responsible for seven major road projects in Norway in the coming 20 years. It will be financed by government subsidies and road tolls. Some €15.35 billion will be used by the company. Planned projects include different sections on the E39, E18 and E6 roads. The Norwegian Standing Committee on Transport and Communications (Transport- og kommunikasjonskomiteen) said that the new company will focus on faster and less expensive construction. It will also have a large degree of freedom of action. There will also be an increased focus on public-private partnerships to deliver new projects and routes. Norway does have issues with its existing road network which this move is intended to help address. Roads away from capital Oslo are not always able to cope with either the volume of traffic or the size of vehicles using the routes, a major issue in areas servicing the country’s oil industry in particular.