European route E39

E39 shield

E39
Route information
Length 1,330 km (830 mi)
Major junctions
North end Klett, Norway
South end Aalborg, Denmark
Location
Countries  Norway
 Denmark
Highway system
International E-road network

E 39 is the designation of a 1330 km long north-south road in Norway and Denmark, running from Klett just south of Trondheim to Aalborg, via Orkanger, Vinjeøra, Halsa ... Straumsnes, Krifast, Batnfjordsøra, Molde ... Vestnes, Skodje, Ålesund ... Volda ... Nordfjordeid ... Sandane, Førde, Lavik ... Instefjord, Knarvik, Bergen, Os ... Stord,[1] Sveio, Aksdal, Bokn ... Rennesøy, Randaberg, Stavanger, Sandnes, Ålgård, Helleland, Flekkefjord, Lyngdal, Mandal, Kristiansand ... Hirtshals, Hjørring, and Nørresundby. Several sections are via ferry, denoted by ... in the above list. In total there are nine ferries, the highest number of ferries for a single road in Europe.

In Trondheim, there are connections to E 6 and E 14. In Ålesund, to E 136, in Bergen to E 16, in Haugesund, to E 134, in Kristiansand to E 18, and in Aalborg to E 45.

Norwegian part

Route of E39 shown on map of Western/Southern Norway

In Norway, E39 is part of Norwegian national road system, and is as such developed and maintained by the public roads administration.[2] E39 is mostly a two-lane undivided road, only relatively short sections near Stavanger, Trondheim and Bergen are motorways or semi-motorways.

Trøndelag county

Trondheim
  • E6 707 Klett junction
  • Udduvoll bru
Melhus
Skaun
Orkdal
Hemne

Møre og Romsdal county

Halsa ferry dock
Halsa
  • ferry from Halsa to Kanestraum in Tingvoll (20 minutes, fee)
Tingvoll
Gjemnes
Gjemnessund Bridge
Molde
Vestnes
  • E136 at Skorgenes, jointly with E39 until Spjelkavika
Ørskog
Ålesund
Roundabout in Ålesund
Sula
  • ferry from Solavågen to Festøya in Ørsta (20 minutes, fee)
Ørsta
Volda

Sogn og Fjordane county

E39 bend at Anda near Sandane Airport
Eid
Gloppen
  • Ferry from Lote to Anda (10 min, 1-2 departures per hour, fee)
Nordfjord and E39 ferry Lote-Anda
Jølster
Førde
Gaular
  • 57 at Espeland
Høyanger
Gulen
  • Ytre Oppedal
  • Skrikebergtunnelen (1500 m)
  • Jernfjelltunnelen (2 391 m)

Hordaland county

Masfjorden
  • Matreberg Tunnel (1352 m)
  • Masfjord Tunnel (4110 m)
Lindås
Hagelsund Bridge
Meland
Nordhordlandsbrua pontoon bridge at Bergen
Bergen
Os
  • Ferry from Halhjem to Sandvikvåg (40 min, 2 departures per hour, fee)
Fitjar
Stord
Sveio

Rogaland county

Tysvær
Bokn
  • Ferry from Arsvågen to Mortavika
Rennesøy
Randaberg
Stavanger
Sandnes
Gjesdal
Bjerkreim
Eigersund
Lund

Vest Agder County

Vesterveien in Kristiansand
Flekkefjord
Kvinesdal
  • Fedafjorden Bridge
  • Vatlandtunnelen (3184 m)
Lyngdal
  • Toll Handeland in Lyngdal
Lindesnes
Mandal
  • Kirkeheitunnelen (835 m)
Kristiansand
  • Toll Vesterveien in Kristiansand
  • E18 At Kristiansand
  • E39 Hirtshals, Denmark (2-3 hours, 2-5 departures/day, fee)

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.[3]

Since 1990, a number of long bridges and tunnels have replaced four of the ferries. The bridges and tunnels are:

Other large road projects include:

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 15 km long motorway south of Bergen is under construction and expected to be finished in 2022.
  • The world's deepest and longest underwater road tunnel, the 27-kilometre-long (17 mi) and 390-metre-deep (1,280 ft) Rogfast, was started (first blasting) in 2018 and is expected to be opened in 2025-26.
  • The entire route Stavanger – Kristiansand is planned to be rebuilt into motorway or semi-motorway.
  • There are plans to replace every ferry link with a fixed connection, but each presents a costly technical challenge as the fjords are wide and very deep, so the plans are controversial and uncertain (except Rogfast).

The E39 Ferries

The E39 ferries are mainly operated by Fjord1. Except the Volda-Folkestad ferry, which is operated by Tide Sjø.

Fjord1 ferry at Arsvågen dock.

Domestic car ferries on E39 are regarded as an integral part of national highways. Ferries operate according to a published timetable and standard prices for vehicles and passengers. E39 includes the following ferry routes from North to South (approximate crossing time in minutes):[4] The Norwegian government plans to replace all the ferries with bridges and tunnels.[5]

Halsa - Kanestraum 20 min.
Molde - Vestnes 35 min.
Solevåg - Festøya 20 min.
Volda - Folkestad 10 min.
Anda - Lote 10 min.
Lavik - Oppedal 20 min.
Halhjem - Sandvikvåg 40 min.
Arsvågen - Mortavika 22 min.

International car ferry operated by Color Line:[6] and Fjord Line (Seasonal).[7]

Kristiansand - Hirtshals 3 hours 15 minutes

Danish part

E 39 in Denmark, exit 3

From Norway E 39 goes with ferry from Kristiansand to Hirtshals in north Denmark. Ferries are run by Colorline and Fjordline. In Denmark E 39 is a motorway from the south of Hirtshals to the north of Aalborg. The exits are:

References

  1. ↑ Meiner vegen var for dårleg strødd
  2. ↑ National Public Roads Administration of Norway, website
  3. ↑ Historiske kart 22D 12; 23C 9; 28B 4; 28B 8; 29A 1; 29A 5: Hordaland / Sogn og Fjordane
  4. ↑ Fjord1 website
  5. ↑ 3D-animation the Sognefjord
  6. ↑ Color Line
  7. ↑ Fjord Line
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