The Hundvåg tunnel (pictured, the race from Hundvåg towards Stavanger city center) is part of an operating contract that covers most of Rogaland county and some of Agder. Photo: Norwegian Public Roads Administration

Statens vegvesen (The Norwegian Public Roads Administration) announces operating contract for Rogaland.

The world's longest underwater tunnel and new climate requirements are part of the assignment when the Norwegian Public Roads Administration announces an operating contract for the road network in Rogaland for the next five years.

The contract covers the municipalities of Stavanger, Randaberg, Sandnes, Sola, Gjesdal, Bjerkreim, Eigersund, Lund, Flekkefjord, Strand and Hjelmeland.

It includes 451 kilometers of national road (including 100 kilometers of pedestrian and cycle paths) in a large and varied contract area:

•  The E39 section from Mortavika ferry quay in the north and down over the Agder border to Flekkefjord in the south.
• Riksveg 426 to Egersund.
• Eastwards from Stavanger on national road 13 via Ryfast (the world's longest underwater tunnel, 14459 meters, opened on 30 December 2019) and up to Hjelmeland ferry quay.
• Highway 509 via Stavanger Airport Sola to Sunde and highway 444 to Jæren.

Emission-free vehicles and other climate requirements

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration has a goal of halving emissions from its projects by 2030.

- The contractor must partly use emission-free vehicles, says project manager Tor Oscar Walskaar in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration.

All new road contracts The Norwegian Public Roads Administration announces contain requirements for environmental certification and reporting of CO2 emissions.

- This is how we can register which climate measures we do, and together with the contractor evaluate what has an effect, Walskaar adds.

Among other things, the requirements for collecting washing water before and after tunnel washing have been tightened.

Uses salt against airborne dust

In a small area in Stavanger, from Madlaveien to Schancheholen, special supervision of airborne dust values ​​must be maintained. This problem is greatest during periods of cold and dry winter days.

During periods of calm, clear weather and frost, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration requires the contractor to be at the forefront, and assesses whether the weather forecast can lead to a risk of high air pollution.

In these cases, the contractor must salt the road surface to keep it moist, in addition to washing it.

In winter operation, salt must be used where necessary to obtain the correct winter operation class. At the same time, salt use will decrease with the use of weather data and technology.
Five years plus option

The contract lasts five years, from 1 September this year to 31 August 2027, with the possibility of extension for up to three years.

Average daily traffic varies from 2000 at the lowest and all the way up to 60,000 in urban areas in Stavanger.

Four contracts becomes one

The regional reform, which was introduced on 1 January 2020, means that the county municipalities are responsible for the operation of the county roads.

The new contract therefore only applies to national roads, and there are four old contracts that have been merged into one.

E39 from Flekkefjord to Bue will be phased into the contract area from 1 September 2023, the rest of the section from 1 September this year.

https://kommunikasjon.ntb.no/pressemelding/statens-vegvesen-lyser-ut-driftskontrakt-for-rogaland?publisherId=17847490&releaseId=17926254

Photo:Hundvåg tunnel (Photo:Statens vegvesen)