Press Release - The Norwegian Public Roads Administration and Bane NOR signed a cooperation agreement on the €4.5 bn Arna-Stanghelle Joint Project

After six years of planning, the mega-project was rewarded with an approved government zoning plan on 1 April this year.

The project will provide safe transport, reduced travel time, as well as increased capacity and reliability. This will be of great importance to the main corridor for roads and railways between east and west in Norway.

- We are in the process of key processes leading up to the start of construction and one of them is the cooperation agreement between the agencies, which was signed at a board meeting on Wednesday night, says Sælensminde Erstad.

The agreement was signed by the development directors Kjell Inge Davik from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration and Stine Undrum from Bane NOR. The agreement is valid until the project is handed over.

A builder for roads and railways with strong competence

- Even though the Norwegian Public Roads Administration is the project owner in this joint project, we are keen to convey to all future partners for the project that they will meet a joint client. The project organization consists of resources from both Bane NOR and the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, and these will be responsible for building both road and track, Davik emphasizes.

The project is very satisfied with the solution that Bane NOR and the Norwegian Public Roads Administration have come up with and believes it will have great advantages.

- This joint project is a unique opportunity for learning and experience transfer between our two organizations, both with significant professional environment and expertise. The solution with a common client will benefit the industry, the project and those who work in it, says Undrum.

The project has been established with a project organization under the leadership of project manager Katrine Sælensminde Erstad in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. A project board has been established with representatives from the two organizations. The project board consists of the development directors and leaders of the development areas in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration and Bane NOR, Kjartan Hove and Hans-Egil Larsen.

Recruitment and market focus

The time ahead will be used to build up a project organization and have a dialogue with the market.

- We already have a good project group with representatives from both organizations. We have no duplicate functions and each individual is responsible for both road and track in the project. Going forward, we will recruit and continue to build a strong unified team, emphasizes project manager Katrine Sælensminde Erstad.

 About the project

•          Large parts of the section will be parallel railway and road tunnels with shared cross passages for evacuation between the tunnels.

•          The railway part will have 2 tunnels, one of 18,7 km and the other 8,0 km.

•          Two new railway stations will be built.

•          The road part includes 3 tunnels of 9-10 km.

•          Start-up is planned for 2024

•          Estimated cost €4.5 bn.

For further information please visit  no/252 for the tunnelbuilder archive and  here. Visit https://www.vegvesen.no/vegprosjekter/europaveg/e16banearnastanghelle. 18/22.