European route E39

European route E39 is the designation of a north–south road in Norway and Denmark from Klett, just south of Trondheim, to Aalborg via Bergen, Stavanger and Kristiansand. In total, there are nine ferries, more than any other single road in Europe.

In Trondheim, there are connections to E6 and E14. In Ålesund, to E136, in Bergen to E16, in Haugesund, to E134, in Kristiansand to E18, and in Aalborg to E45.

Norwegian part

In Norway, E39 is part of Norwegian national road system, and is as such developed and maintained by the public roads administration. E39 is mostly a two-lane undivided road, and only relatively short sections near Stavanger, Trondheim and Bergen are motorways or semi-motorways.

Trøndelag county

;Trondheim
*
* Klett junction
* Udduvoll bru
;Melhus
* Semi-motorway Øysand-Thamshavn/Orkanger (22 km)
* 2 Toll stations at Øysand/Buvika and Thamshavn
;Skaun
* Skaun
;Orkland
* Orkanger
* Lensvik, Fosen
; Heim
* ferry from Halsa to Kanestraum in Tingvoll (20 minutes, fee)

Møre og Romsdal county

;Tingvoll
* Bergsøysund Bridge 931 m
;Gjemnes
* Gjemnessund Bridge 1257 m

; Molde
* ←Molde Airport, Årø →Eide, Elnesvågen
* → Fannefjordstunnelen direction Åndalsnes
* ferry from Molde to Vestnes (Furnes dock, 35 minutes)
;Vestnes
* at Skorgenes, jointly with E39 until Spjelkavika
;Ålesund
* Sjøholt → Linge ferry dock
* at Spjelkavika, jointly with E39 from Skorgenes at Tresfjord
* Vegsundbrua

; Sula
* ferry from Solavågen to Festøya in Ørsta (20 minutes, fee)
;Ørsta
* Ørsta
;Volda
* Furene → Eiksund tunnel
* to Volda-Folkestad
* Rotsethorntunnelen
* Årsettunnelen
* Fyrdsbergtunnelen
* Damfosstunnelen
* Eidsnakktunnelen
* Kviven Tunnel
* to Hellesylt and Stranda

Vestland county

; Stad
* at Leivdøla bridge, jointly with E39 until Nordfjordeid
* to Folkestad-Volda
* at Nordfjordeid to Måløy
;Gloppen
* Ferry from Lote to Anda (10 min, 1–2 departures per hour, fee)

* at Sandane
* Breimsfjelltunnelen 2
* Breimsfjelltunnelen 1
* at Byrkjelo
; Sunnfjord
* jointly with E39 from Skei to Førde
* at Moskog to Balestrand over Gaularfjellet
* Toll into Førde
* to Førde hospital
* Førde
* Toll into Førde
* to Askvoll
* at Espeland to Førde airport
* at Sande to Dale and Askvoll westbound or to Gaularfjellet eastbound
* Økslandtunnelen
;Høyanger
* at Vadheim
* Bogstunnelen
* Noreviktunnelen
* Lavik
* ferry from Lavik to Ytre Oppedal (20 min, 1–2 departures per hour, fee)
;Gulen
* Ytre Oppedal
* Skrikebergtunnelen
* Jernfjelltunnelen
;Masfjorden
* Matreberg Tunnel
* Masfjord Tunnel
; Alver
* Eikefet Tunnel
* Mundalsberget
* Mundalsberg Tunnel
* at Knarvik
* Hagelsund Bridge

* Flatøy
* to Flatøy and Holsnøy
* Nordhordland Bridge (Nordhordlandsbrua)

;Bergen
* at Nyborg
* Motorway Vågsbotn – Eidsvåg (5 km)
* Fløyfjellstunnelen (two parallel tunnels, 3195 and 3825 m)
* Bergen
* 3 Toll stations at Sandviken, Nygårdsbroen and Fjøsangerveien
* to Bergen Airport, Flesland
;Bjørnafjorden
* Ferry from Halhjem to Sandvikvåg (40 min, 2 departures per hour, fee)
;Fitjar
* to Fitjar
;Stord
* at Jektevik
* Stordabrua/Stord Bridge (1076 m)
* Bømlafjordtunnelen/Bømlafjord Tunnel (7888 m, 262 m below s.l.)
;Sveio

Rogaland county

;Tysvær
* At Aksdal
; Bokn
* Ferry from Arsvågen to Mortavika
; Stavanger
* Mastrafjordtunnelen (4424 m)
* Byfjordtunnelen (5875 m)
;Randaberg
; Stavanger
* 2 Toll stations at Randabergveien and Forus
* Motorway Schancheholen–Sandved (12 km)
* Stavanger Airport, Sola
;Sandnes
;Gjesdal
;Bjerkreim
; Eigersund
; Lund

Agder County

;Flekkefjord
;Kvinesdal
* Fedafjorden Bridge
* Vatlandtunnelen (3184 m)
;Lyngdal
* Toll Handeland in Lyngdal
;Lindesnes
* Kirkeheitunnelen (835 m)
; Kristiansand
* Toll Vesterveien in Kristiansand
* At Kristiansand
* Hirtshals, Denmark (2–3 hours, 2–5 departures/day, fee)

Domestic ferries

The E39 ferries are operated by Fjord1 except the Volda-Folkestad and Festøya-Solavågen ferry, which are operated by Norled.

Domestic car ferries on the E39 are regarded as an integral part of national highways. Ferries operate according to a published timetable and standard prices for vehicles and passenger

The E39 includes the following ferry routes from North to South (approximate crossing time in minutes):

*Halsa–Kanestraum 20 min.
*Molde–Vestnes 35 min.
*Solavågen–Festøya 20 min.
*
*Anda–Lote 10 min.
*Lavik–Oppedal 20 min.
*Halhjem–Sandvikvåg 45 min.
*Arsvågen–Mortavika 25 min.

The Norwegian government plans to replace all the ferries on E39 in Norway with bridges and tunnels. This involves some of the List of longest suspension bridge spans#Planned and proposed bridges, longest proposed bridge spans.

History

In 1786, a royal decision was made to establish a postal route between Bergen and Trondheim. From the establishment of mail in Norway in 1647 until then, all mail between those cities went over to Oslo. To begin with, the route was for large parts usable for walking and horse riding only, but in the following decades it was rebuilt to allow horse carriages. Several parts required boat. The route was Bergen–Åsane– Hordvik–(boat over Salhusfjorden)– Isdal–Hundvin–Gulen–Rutledal–(boat over Sognefjorden)–Leirvik (Hyllestad)–Flekke– Dale–Bygstad–Førde–Jølster–Gloppen-(boat over Nordfjord)–Faleide ( Stryn)–Hornindal–Hellesylt– Stranda–(boat along Storfjorden)–Sjøholt–Vestnes-(boat over Romsdalsfjorden)– Molde–Angvik–(boat over Tingvollfjorden)–Tingvoll–(boat over Halsafjord)–Stangvik– Skei–Rindal–Orkanger–Trondheim. The 1786 decision also included a mail route between Stavanger and Bergen.
In 1858, mail was rerouted to newly established steam ships Bergen–Vadheim, and the mail route changed to Vadheim– Sande–Førde, in parts precisely along today's route.

Since 1990, a number of long bridges and tunnels have replaced four of the ferries. The bridges and tunnels are:
*Nordhordland Bridge (1994)
*Gjemnessund Bridge and Bergsøysund Bridge (1992)
* Stord Bridge and Bømlafjord Tunnel (2000)
*Kviven Tunnel and further tunnels (2012)
Other large road projects include:
* Klett–Orkanger (2005)
*Orkanger– Høgkjølen (2015)
* Lote Tunnel (1966)
*Bogs Tunnel (2004) and the adjacent Norevik Tunnel (2012)
* Masfjord Tunnel and adjacent tunnels (1986–1995)
* Eikefet Tunnel (1980)
* Fløyfjell Tunnel (1989)
*Mastrafjord Tunnel (1982)

The route Trondheim–Ålesund–Bergen–Stavanger–Kristiansand was named E39 in 2000. Kristiansund–Stavanger was earlier riksveg 1 (national highway 1, "coastal through-road") from 1992 and riksveg 14 before 1992. Stavanger–Kristiansand was part of E18, and Trondheim – Kristiansund was riksveg 65 and riksveg 71.

Future

*A motorway south of Bergen is under construction and expected to be finished in 2022.
*Rogfast, which will be the world's deepest and longest underwater road tunnel at and , was started (first blasting) in 2018 and is expected to be opened in 2033.
*The entire route from Stavanger to Kristiansand is planned to be rebuilt into 4 lane motorway before 2030, in total remaining (as of 2021) to be built.
*There are plans to replace every ferry link with a fixed connection. There are seven, but each presents a costly technical challenge as the fjords are wide and very deep, and have met public resistance.
Apart from Rogfast, two projects have a time plan, although delayed:
**Hordfast (south of Bergen) is prioritised because having the highest number of ferry ships, five in operation, and second-most vehicle traffic after Rogfast. It is prioritised despite being probably the most technically challenging of all these crossings. A five kilometre long floating bridge over Bjørnafjorden is planned, new world record, in a stormy area, with clearing for ship traffic below. And a suspension bridge over Langenuen with span, one of the longest in the world. The total cost for Hordfast is estimated to 37 billion NOK ($US billion) in part paid by road tolls of around 400 NOK. Regulatory standards will be completed in 2023, and it is estimated to be completed in the 2030's.
**A crossing of Romsdalsfjorden (Ålesund–Molde), having a undersea tunnel and a 2000 meter long suspension bridge with long span. Construction start is planned for around 2030.
*The remaining four fjord crossings are more unsure, but are being investigated.
**Sognefjorden: a 4 km long floating bridge is considered.
** Nordfjorden: a 1.8 km long suspension bridge with a 1.5 km span is considered.
** Sulafjorden and Vartdalsfjorden: a 4 km long floating bridge plus a 2 km long suspension bridge is considered.
**Halsafjorden: a 3 km long floating bridge is considered.

Norway–Denmark ferry

An international car ferry is operated by Color Line and by Fjord Line (seasonally).Fjord Line
/ref>
; Kristiansand – Hirtshals 3 hours 15 minutes

Danish part

From Norway, E39 goes with ferry from Kristiansand to Hirtshals, in northern Denmark. Ferries are run by Color Line and Fjord Line.
The motorway goes from the south of Hirtshals to the north of Aalborg.
The exits are:
* Aabyen
* 2 Hjørring N
* 3 Hjørring C
* 4 Hjørring S
* 5 Vrå
* 6 Brønderslev C
* 7 Brønderslev S
* , Store Vildmose
* 8 Tylstrup
* 9 Vestbjerg
* 10 Høvejen → Aalborg Airport
* Aalborg, Aarhus

References

External links

UN Economic Commission for Europe: Overall Map of E-road Network (2007)

European route E39

{{DEFAULTSORT:European Route E39
39
E039
E039
E039
Roads in Trøndelag
Roads in Møre og Romsdal
Roads in Vestland
Roads in Rogaland
Roads in Agder