Nye Veier AS, a Norwegian state -owned company founded to  plan, build, operate and maintain roads has submitted proposals for E18 for administrative and political considerations.

Among the proposed constructions is a twin tube tunnel under the Otra River, the longest river  in the Sørlandet region of Norway.

Following is the related an English translation of the original media release in Norwegian.

Proposal for zoning plan for E18 Ytre Ring Road submitted to Kristiansand municipality

Nye Veier has submitted proposals for detailed regulation for E18 Ytre Ring Road to Kristiansand municipality for administrative and political treatment. The project will ensure predictable and robust road connection through Agder.

In line with the overall social goals, relevant labor markets will be more closely linked. The ring road will provide a better distinction between local, regional and national traffic through Kristiansand.

Nye Veier are concerned with social benefits and climate -friendly solutions in our projects. In the work on this zoning plan, extensive work on an impact assessment has been carried out with a view to safety, climate, environment, noise and mass management. We hope and believe that this plan will be adopted and is confident that this road project will lead to better safety, less queue and more way for the money, says Asbjørn Heieraas, planning director in Nye Veier.

Less load in natural and outdoor areas

Compared to the municipal subdivision plan for Ytre Ring Road, the zoning plan proposal will contribute to a shorter guide line between Vige and Grauthelleren.

There will be less load in natural and outdoor areas in Dalane and less negative impact on the living environments in the day zones in Vige and Dalane. In addition, the tunnel under Otra will mean that Bymarka and Jegersberg will be spared noise, dust and visual noise compared to the bridge solution in the municipal subdivision plan, says Thomas Kaaløy Jensen, planning project manager in Nye Veier.

Mass management

The plan proposal arranges for the surplus mass from the road development to be disposed of in areas west of the Grautheller. The sites for mass disposal are a short distance from the project's tunnel cutting on the Grauthelleren. This allows short transport distance on the way. The areas are planned to be accumulated in a way that facilitates that stone resources can potentially be utilized as a building foundation or for the extraction of masses.

The main elements of the plan proposal

The E18 Ytre Ring Road will be a traffic -safe, a four -lane highway in a continuous two -run tunnel from Vige to the Grautheller, with a speed limit 110 km/h in most of the tunnel. The road will help make the transport corridor around one of Norway's largest cities become more efficient and less vulnerable. The road will relieve today's main road system through Kristiansand.

Ytre Ring Road will go in the tunnel under Otra. There will be cross at each end of the tunnel, in Vige and when connecting to the new intersection at the Grautheller. In addition, there will be crosses in the mountains under Dalane with their own ramp tunnels up to Rv9. The construction work is estimated to take 4.5 years.

Facility implementation

The construction work required to build E18 Ytre Ring Road will be marked, especially at the day zones in Vige and at Dalane. In order to reduce construction time and minimize mass transport in the area, Nye Veier proposes to run the ramp tunnels in Dalane, from the inside and out. With new noise screens along highway 9, the noise conditions here will improve.

Here we have a project where most of the work will take place under the ground, it will have limited consequences for residents in the area and great benefit to the region, says Kaaløy Jensen.

Further case processing in Kristiansand municipality

The proposal is expected to be dealt with politically in Kristiansand municipality in the fall of 2023. After political treatment, the plan will be sent out for consultation, and submitted for public inspection for a minimum of six weeks. This is notified and sent to affected parties and consultation bodies, which are given the opportunity to send input and comments on the plan proposal. The zoning plan can be adopted at the earliest in the winter of 2024.

Image and Norwegian release:

https://kommunikasjon.ntb.no/pressemelding/forslag-til-reguleringsplan-for-e18-ytre-ringvei-oversendt-kristiansand-kommune?publisherId=14424980&releaseId=17981176&lang=no