European route E39

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 A Class B Class

European route E39 is the designation of a 1,330-kilometre-long (830 mi) north–south road in Norway and Denmark, running from Klett just south of Trondheim to Aalborg, via Bergen, Stavanger and Kristiansand. In total there are nine ferries, the highest number of ferries for a 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[]

This section is in list format but may read better as prose. You can help by , if appropriate. Editing help is available. (October 2020)

In Norway, E39 is part of Norwegian national road system, and is as such developed and maintained by the public roads administration.^[1] 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 Klett junction
• Udduvoll bru

Melhus

• Semi-motorway Øysand-Thamshavn/Orkanger (22 km)
• 2 Toll stations at Øysand/Buvika and Thamshavn

Skaun

Orkland

• Orkanger

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
• → Fannefjordstunnelen direction Åndalsnes
• ferry from Molde to Vestnes (Furnes dock, 35 minutes)

Vestnes

• E136 at Skorgenes, jointly with E39 until Spjelkavika

Ålesund

• Sjøholt → Linge ferry dock
• E136 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
• New route without ferry Volda-Fyrde-Grodås-Nordfjordeid
• Kviven Tunnel, 6,490 metres (21,290 ft)

Vestland county[]

Stad

• at Leivdøla bridge, jointly with E39 until Nordfjordeid

Gloppen

• Ferry from Lote to (10 min, 1–2 departures per hour, fee)

• at Byrkjelo

Sunnfjord

• jointly with E39 from Skei to Førde
• Rv13 at Moskog
• Førde
• Førde airport
• at

Høyanger

• at Vadheim
• (3,482 m)
• Lavik
• ferry from Lavik to Ytre Oppedal (20 min, 1–2 departures per hour, fee)

Gulen

• Ytre Oppedal
• Skrikebergtunnelen (1500 m)
• (2 391 m)

Masfjorden

• (1352 m)
• (4110 m)

Alver

• Eikefet Tunnel (4910 m)
• (1085 m)
• at Knarvik
• Hagelsund Bridge (623 m)

• Nordhordland Bridge (Nordhordlandsbrua) (1614 m)

Bergen

• E16 at Nyborg
• Motorway Vågsbotn – Eidsvåg (5 km)
• Fløyfjellstunnelen (two parallel tunnels, 3195 and 3825 m)
• Bergen
• 3 Toll stations at Sandviken, Nygårdsbroen and Fjøsangerveien
• Bergen Airport, Flesland

Bjørnafjorden

• Ferry from Halhjem to Sandvikvåg (40 min, 2 departures per hour, fee)

Fitjar

Stord

• at
• Stordabrua/Stord Bridge (1076 m)
• Bømlafjordtunnelen/Bømlafjord Tunnel (7888 m, 262 m below s.l.)

Sveio

Rogaland county[]

Tysvær

• E134 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
• E18 At Kristiansand
• E39 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 passengers.[1] [2] The E39 includes the following ferry routes from North to South (approximate crossing time in minutes):^[2][3]

• 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.^[4] This involves some of the 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––(boat over Salhusfjorden)––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.^[5]

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– (2015)
• (1966)
• (2004) and the adjacent (2012)
• 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 15-kilometre-long (9.3 mi) 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 392-metre-deep (1,286 ft) Rogfast, was started (first blasting) in 2018 and is expected to be opened in 2028–29.
• The entire route from Stavanger to Kristiansand is planned to be rebuilt into 4 lane motorway before 2030, in total 144 kilometres (89 mi) 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, so the plans are controversial and uncertain (except Rogfast).^[6]
  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 amount of 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 1,700-metre-long (5,600 ft) span, one of the longest in the world. Construction start is planned for around 2030. The total cost for Hordfast is estimated to 37 billion NOK ($US 4.2 billion) in part paid by road tolls of around 400 NOK.
  • A crossing of Romsdalsfjorden (Ålesund–Molde), having a 16-kilometre-long (9.9 mi) undersea tunnel and a 2000 meter long suspension bridge with 1,650 meters (5,410 ft) 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[]

International car ferry operated by Color Line:^[7] and Fjord Line (Seasonal).^[8]

Kristiansand – Hirtshals 3 hours 15 minutes

Danish part[]

From Norway E39 goes with ferry from Kristiansand to Hirtshals in north Denmark. Ferries are run by Colorline and Fjordline. In Denmark E39 is a motorway from the south of Hirtshals to the north of Aalborg. The exits are:

• 
• 2 Hjørring N
• 3 Hjørring C
• 4 Hjørring S
• 5 Vrå
• 6 Brønderslev C
• 7 Brønderslev S
• | Store Vildmose
• 8 Tylstrup
• 9 Vestbjerg
• 10 → Aalborg Airport
• E45 s Aalborg, Aarhus

References[]

External links[]

• UN Economic Commission for Europe: Overall Map of E-road Network (2007)
• European route E39

Wikimedia Commons has media related to E39.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for European route E39.