European route E6

European route E6 (Norwegian: Europavei 6, Swedish: Europaväg 6, or simply E6) is the main north-south thoroughfare through Norway as well as the west coast of Sweden. It is 3,056 km (1,899 mi) long and runs from the southern tip of Sweden at Trelleborg, into Norway and through almost all of the country north to the Arctic Circle and Nordkapp.[1] The route ends in Kirkenes close to the Russian border.

E6 shield
E6
Major junctions
North endKirkenes, Norway
South endTrelleborg, Sweden
Location
Countries Norway
 Sweden
Highway system

Route
The Svinesund Bridge crosses the border between Norway and Sweden
The West Coast Motorway E6/E20 in Gothenburg, coming from Malmö. At the junction Olskroksmotet, from where the E20 continues east towards Stockholm and E6 continues north towards Oslo.

From south to north, E6 runs through Trelleborg, Malmö, Helsingborg, Halmstad, Gothenburg, Svinesund in Sweden, before crossing the border at the Svinesund Bridge into Norway. It then passes Halden, Sarpsborg, Moss to the capital Oslo. North of this, it passes by Gardermoen, Hamar, Lillehammer, Dombås, Oppdal, Melhus to Trondheim.

Beyond Trondheim, the E6 meets Stjørdal, Verdal, Steinkjer, Grong, Mosjøen, Mo i Rana, Saltdal, Fauske and Hamarøy towards Bognes, where there is a ferry crossing over the Tysfjorden to Skarberget. It then runs through on via Narvik, Setermoen, Nordkjosbotn, Skibotn and Alta to Olderfjord, where European route E69 continues north towards Nordkapp. The E6, meanwhile, turns south towards Lakselv and Karasjok, then runs on the west bank of the Anarjohka, which forms the border with Finland. Beyond the border, it passes through Varangerbotn, and Kirkenes, where the road terminates just east of the town center.

Between Trelleborg and Kirkenes, there is a more than 800 km (500 mi) shorter route using E4 and E75, among the longest detour any European route has. In Finnmark there are several shorter alternative routes to the E6. Moreover, on the stretch from Oslo to Trondheim, following E6 strictly is a 40 km detour compared to using Norwegian National Road 3 or Norwegian National Road 4 for their applicable portions of the trip.

Features
E6 south of Narvik

The road is a 2+2 lane motorway from outside Trelleborg to Moelv, about 740 km. The last Swedish part of the E6 motorway through Bohuslän was completed in 2015.[2][3] This motorway is also connected to Central Europe by uninterrupted motorway (via E20). Some stretches further north also have four lanes or motorway standard. The rest of the road is ordinary road, usually 6–10 m wide. Some parts in the north of Norway are less than 6 m (20 ft) wide, making it very tight when heavy vehicles meet. The northern half of the road, north of Trondheim, is also often fairly curvy, making high speeds in such parts a possible safety hazard.

E6 passes over treeless mountain passes in a few places in Norway. In the winter, bad weather and snow storms can cause the road to be temporarily closed, though, unlike many minor roads, it is kept open wherever practical.[4] Because the road is the main artery through the country, cyclists and leisure travellers avoid the southern sections owing to the excessive traffic. In the north, traffic is sparse.[5]

History and future plans

This road was called E6 in the old "E" road system before 1975 and previously continued to Rome (introduced in Sweden 1962 and in Norway 1965).

It was given the number E47 (but not signposted) in the new system on most of the Scandinavian part (Helsingborg–Olderfjord), and E6 only for the northernmost 460 km (290 mi) (from Olderfjord in Finnmark). After a political negotiation, the whole part passing through Scandinavia was given the number E6 in the new system, introduced in Scandinavia in 1992. The part Trelleborg-Helsingborg was never intended to be part of E47. E47 connects to E4 at the Helsingør-Helsingborg ferry, and E4 and E6 connect just outside Helsingborg.

The E6 became a 4-lane motorway all the way from Trelleborg to Kolomoen (near Hamar) in 2015,[2] although the road is sometimes wider. The new Svinesund Bridge opened in 2005, replacing an earlier and narrower bridge from 1946.[6]

Between 2012 and 2018, the road was shortened by 39 km between Narvik and Alta, by building the Hålogaland Bridge and more bridges and tunnels.

The 60 kilometre road between Moelv and Øyer is under conversion to a 4-lane motorway, set to be finished around 2025.

In Trøndelag, several sections north and south of Trondheim are under construction, or planned as motorways. This project is planned to be 106 kilometers long and it will go from the junction with Norwegian National Road 3 at Ulsberg in the south to Åsen north of Trondheim Airport, Værnes, set to be finished in 2027/2028. It will be financed by the state owned company Nye Veier.[7]

On 8 June 2022, a damaged fairly short bridge (at Badderen), that gave a 163 km detour between Tromsø and Alta, got a temporary bridge installed (over the damaged bridge) after a week interruption.[8][9][10][11][12]

On September 23, 2023, a large landslide destroyed at least a 100 m of the highway, in a section near Stenungsund, north of Gothenburg.[13][14]

References
  1. "Top 10 Drivers' Drives". National Geographic. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  2. "Motorväg genom hela Bohuslän" (Press release) (in Swedish). Swedish Transport Administration. 6 July 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  3. Kind, Hanne Stine; Eide, Stein S. (25 June 2015). "Sju års E6-ventetid er over". NRK (in Norwegian). Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  4. Lonely Planet : Norway. Lonely Planet. 2011. p. 415. ISBN 978-1-742-20472-7.
  5. "Norway". International Cyclist. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  6. Strait Crossings 2001. CRC Press. 2001. p. 173. ISBN 978-9-026-51845-4.
  7. "Nye Veier AS". Nye Veier. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  8. https://www.nrk.no/nyheter/badderen-bru-apnet-for-trafikk-1.15994125. NRK.no. Retrieved 8 June 2022
  9. https://www.nettavisen.no/norsk-debatt/det-er-mer-enn-ei-bru-i-nord-norge-som-har-gitt-etter-det-er-tilliten-som-smuldrer-opp/o/5-95-512195. Nettavisen. Retrieved 1 June 2022
  10. https://www.nrk.no/tromsogfinnmark/midlertidig-bru-snart-klar_-gjenapner-e6-i-nord-troms-allerede-onsdag-1.15991692. NRK.no. Retrieved 7 June 2022
  11. https://www.nettavisen.no/nyheter/midlertidig-bru-settes-inn-over-badderen-pa-e6-i-nord-troms/s/12-95-3424279822. Nettavisen. Retrieved 1 May 2022
  12. https://www.nrk.no/tromsogfinnmark/e6-stengt-i-nord-troms-_-omkjoring-via-finland-1.15986372. NRK.no
  13. Nikel, David (2023-09-23). "Landslide Destroys Main E6 Sweden-Norway Highway". Life in Norway. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
  14. "A landslide in Sweden causes a huge sinkhole on a highway and 3 are injured when cars crash". AP News. 2023-09-23. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
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