Statens vegvesen recommends alternative B for stage two of the E18 Western Corridor

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration recommends that alternative B be used as a basis for further work on the zoning plan for the E18 Ramstadsletta-Nesbru. The municipalities of Bærum and Asker and Viken county municipalities will consider the recommendation for the main road system before the work on detailed regulation begins.

Start of work on the zoning plan for the new E18 Ramstadsletta-Nesbru was announced in May 2021. The work is based on the municipal sub-plan (KDP) for E18 Lysaker-Slependen (adopted in Bærum 2014) and E18 Slependen-Drengsrud (adopted in Asker 2016). In KDP, the new E18 is laid in a tunnel under the Sandvik River and connects to the E16 with ramps for traffic both eastwards and towards Hønefoss.

In the pre-project phase of the zoning plan work, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, together with consultant Norconsult, has worked to optimize the solutions from the adopted municipal sub-plans. An important prerequisite has been that the standard choice on stage 1 (E18 Lysaker-Ramstadsletta) must be continued. Other goals for the zoning plan are to facilitate public transport, pedestrians and cyclists and for commercial traffic, as well as reduce air pollution and noise nuisance, barrier effects and rush hour delays.

The UN's sustainability goals as a screening tool

Through the pre-project phase, several alternatives for the main and local road system have been developed and studied. The alternatives are assessed according to the criteria economic, social and environmental sustainability, which are based on the UN's sustainability goals. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration decided that alternative B is the one that best corresponds to the goals of the project. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration therefore recommends that this alternative be used as a basis for further work on detailing and optimizing solutions for zoning plans in Asker and Bærum municipalities.

- We are pleased that we can now recommend an alternative for the main road system that meets most of the needs and requirements for safety, environmental and urban development and economy. Our recommendation has more tunnels and less roads today than what was originally in the KDP. It frees up areas from the beach zone, which creates opportunities for the municipalities' area development. It will also provide less local traffic today than was originally proposed. In addition, the conditions are better facilitated for pedestrians and cyclists at the same time as the accessibility for buses is improved, says project manager for the E18 West Corridor, Tom Hedalen Will work to reduce costs

Project manager Hedalen emphasizes that everything is still not in place. Among other things, a solution remains to be found to connect traffic from Sandvika and the E18 westwards in a way that is in line with the Tunnel Safety Regulations. Work will also continue on detailing solutions for the local road system. In the further work, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, together with consultant Noronsult, must also find ways to improve solutions so that costs can be reduced.

-We are still happy that we can soon move on to the next phase of the work, which is a technical plan and zoning plan. This happens after the municipalities and the county municipality have given their principled support to our professional recommendation for the overall system, he says.

All information, graphics from Statens vegvesen via NTB K.