On Tuesday, the construction of the new E18 began – NRK Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio

– Now we are up and running. This is a fantastic urban development project, says Transport Minister Knut Arild Hareide (KrF).

On Tuesday, Hareide and his government colleague Jan Tore Sanner from Bærum monitored that the bulldozer removed the first chunk of peat in a garden near the highway in Ramstadsletta.

Together with notables from Bærum, Asker and Viken, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration and the contractor, they ushered in construction of the first stage of the new E18.

The happiest today was probably the mayor of Bærum, Lisbeth Hammer Krog (H).

– It’s bubbling now. It is about us going from a monstrous highway and a huge highway to going more than half underground, he says.

Decades of arguing

The road to starting construction today has been long and full of conflict.

In June, the Storting finally gave the green light to strong protests from the Oslo City Council. This fall, Viken County and Bærum Municipality provided the necessary local guarantees.

As a result, the ODM and the Socialist People’s Party marched outside the county council in protest.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Knut Arild Hareide had threatened to refuse to pay for Fornebubanen to pass E18.

As a result, negotiations on investment in roads and public transport in Oslo Package 3 have also failed.

The minister believes that many are deliberately trying to misinterpret the project.

– This is a project that improves public transportation and that means that we have better opportunities for walking and cycling.

– In fact, it is the case that the capacity of the next motorway will be less than what we have today, but the internal traffic in Bærum will be much better.

– This is a very good environmental project, says Hareide.

The way to follow

Construction begins at Lysaker: Ramstadsletta isn’t the only E18 news these days.

At the same time, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration is putting full pressure on the planning of in this stage, the one between Ramstadsletta and Slependen.

3.6 kilometers of the stretch past Sandvika will be placed in a tunnel. Under Sandvika, the E18 and E16 will also be connected.

The scenario is estimated to cost around NOK 10 billion. Work can start around 2025/2026.

The third stage further west, past Asker, is still further ahead.

The total development cost of the 17.3 kilometers will likely be between NOK 40 and 50 billion.

See the needs

– We plan more and then the political processes will clarify what happens on the way forward, says Knut Arild Hareide.

It says the needs for urban development and better air are the same beyond.

– But it is clear that it costs money and must be adopted, says the Minister of Transport.

– There is also full agreement among those who oppose the scenario we will build now that Sandvika needs good urban development, says Bærums Mayor Lisbeth Hammer Krog.

I think the race is over

Opponents of the highway at the Association for Conservation of Nature think it is too late to stop the stage where the shovel got stuck in the ground today.

Department head Holger Schlaupitz, on the other hand, believes that time is working against a continuous highway in the rest of the section.

– My impression is that more and more people see that the road will be extremely expensive. And society must pay for it, either with high tolls or with public funds.

He believes that it is more realistic to implement more specific measures around Sandvika and Asker.

– Let’s bring to the table solutions that involve improvements to the current road and smaller developments through urban areas, which reduce the noise load, provide better conditions for cyclists and public transport and which do not create even more car traffic says Holger Schlaupitz.