Skip to main content

Nordic road conditions vary

Nordic road conditions vary between Sweden and Norway.
By MJ Woof February 8, 2021 Read time: 1 min
Nordic road conditions vary according to reports – image courtesy of © Iqoncept; Dreamstime.com
The quality of road conditions varies greatly between Nordic neighbours Norway and Sweden. Norwegian roads appear generally in good shape according to a recent survey, while Sweden needs to address road condition in rural areas, as shown be recent research.

A report carried out by Vista Analyse for the road traffic association Opplysningsrådet for Veitrafikken (OFV) has shown that the quality of Norwegian roads improved during 2014-2019. The Norwegian Road Administration (Statens Vegvesen) increased its road maintenance budget during this time, while individual states also boosted spending on road repairs and maintenance. On average some €19,354km/year is spent on maintaining county roads and €48,385/year on national and European highways in Norway.

But a survey by the Swedish trade association Transportföretagen shows that more than 10% of Sweden’s state roads are in poor condition, with a key issue being those links in rural areas. The report is based on data collated by the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) of the country’s 98,500km state road network. According to the report an additional €533 million/year will have to be spent until 2030 to address the issue. Insufficient maintenance of rural roads has been identified as being a particular problem.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Sweden: Electric road trials at Elväg Gävle to start in June
    March 22, 2016
    An experimental 2km test track for electric heavy goods trucks will open in the Swedish area of Elväg Gävle in June. The track runs along the E16 highway between Sandviken and Kungsgården. Electrically powered trucks will be using the track around Gävle, a town by the Baltic Sea near the mouth of the river Dalälven. The Elväg Gävle project is financed and managed by the Regional Development Council of Gävleborg in cooperation with the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket), the Swedish Energy
  • Road surface quality is vital to safety and policing - TISPOL 2015 conference
    January 18, 2016
    The state of Europe’s road surfaces “is absolutely vital” if TISPOL, the European Traffic Police Network, is going to achieve its target of halving road deaths across the continent by 2020 says AA president Edmund King Speaking at the 2015 TISPOL annual conference in Manchester, King warned that the deteriorating state of Europe’s road pavements has become “a serious problem” and that the number of potholes is now an important road safety issue for the enforcement community.
  • UK's roads deteriorate?
    March 2, 2012
    The latest data available from the UK's Department for Transport (DfT) shows a worrying decrease in road quality across the country.
  • Bring forward tunnel work, urges the head of Norwegian national contractor Mesta
    April 13, 2020
    Marianne Bergmann Røren said there are 55 tunnels needing upgrading before 2025.