Atlanterhavsveien
Encyclopedia
The Atlantic Ocean Road or the Atlantic Road is a 8.3 kilometres (5.2 mi) long section of County Road 64
which runs through an archipelago
in Eide
and Averøy
in Møre og Romsdal
, Norway
. It runs along the unsheltered Hustadvika
between the villages of Kårvåg
on Averøy with Vevang
in Eide, and is a fixed link connecting the island of Averøy to the mainland and Romsdalshalvøya. The road is built on several small islands and skerries
, and is spanned by eight bridges—the most prominent being Storseisundet Bridge
—several causeways and viaduct
s. The road has an open sea view, making it one of the most-visited natural tourist attraction in the country.
Plans for a railway along the route dates in the early 20th century, but was ultimately abandoned. Construction started on 1 August 1983 and the work was subject to twelve hurricanes. The road was opened on 7 July 1989; it cost 122 million Norwegian krone
(NOK) and was financed 25% by tolls
. The toll road was scheduled to remain in use for 15 years, but by June 1999 the road was paid off and the toll removed. The road is preserved, is classified as a National Tourist Routes
, is a popular site to film automotive commercials, and has been declared the world's best road trip and the Norwegian Construction of the Century. In 2009, the Atlantic Ocean Tunnel
opened from Averøy to Kristiansund
; in combination with the Atlantic Ocean Road, it has become the second fixed link between Kristiansund and Molde
.
, the Atlantic Ocean Road has been designated one of eighteen National Tourist Routes.
Starting on Averøy, the road runs from Utheim, close to the village of Kårvåg in Averøy. It runs onto the isle of Kuholmen and the across the 115 metres (377.3 ft) long Little Lauvholmen Bridge, which has a clearance below of 7 metres (23 ft), onto the isle of Lille Lauvøy. The road then runs across the 52 metres (170.6 ft) long Store Lauvøysund Bridge, which has a clearance below of 3 metres (10 ft), onto the isle of Store Lauvøy. Next the road runs across Geitøysund Bridge, which has a clearance below of 6 metres (19.7 ft), onto the isle of Geitøya, which features a viewpoint and parking. The road then runs across Eldhusøya and Lyngholmen, before reaching Ildhusøya, where there is a resting place, parking and a viewpoint. The road then runs over Storseisundet Bridge, a cantilever bridge
which is 260 metres (853 ft) long and has a clearance below of 23 metres (75.5 ft). The municipal border between Eide and Averøy runs under the bridge. The road then runs across Flatskjæret, where there is a viewpoint, before crossing the three Hulvågen Bridges, which combined are 293 metres (961.3 ft) long and have a clearance below of 4 metres (13.1 ft), onto Hulvågen. From there the road crosses Skarvøy and Strømsholmen, both which has a resting place. It then crosses to the mainland across the 119 metres (390.4 ft) long Vevangstraumen Bridge, which has a clearance below of 10 metres (32.8 ft).
and in 1935 Parliament decided to connect the coastal towns in Møre og Romsdal to Åndalsnes via road instead of rail.
Although the plans were officially shelved, locals continued to work with plans to build a road across the archipelago, which would have allowed Averøy a fixed link to the mainland. The limited company Atlanterhavsveien AS was established in 1970 as a toll company to finance the road. Arne Rettedal
, who was Minister of Local Government and Regional Development
in the early 1980s, proposed that job creation funds could be allocated to road projects. The proposal was approved in 1983, after the proposal had been seconded by the municipalities of Averøy, Eide and Fræna
. Construction started as a municipal road project on 1 August 1983, but construction was slow. From 1 July 1986, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration
look over the project, and the road was opened on 7 July 1989. During construction the area was subject to twelve hurricanes. The opening of the road allowed the Tøvik–Ørjavik Ferry to be terminated.
Construction cost NOK 122 million and was financed 25% by tolls, 25% by job creation funds and 50% by ordinary state road grants. There was significant local opposition against toll financing the road, and few people believed it would be possible to pay off the road in the stipulated 15 years. By June 1999 the road was paid off and the toll removed. This was caused by both better-than-predicted local traffic using the road, in addition to a large amount of tourist traffic.
The road was in 2009 Norway's ninth-most-visited natural tourist attraction, with 258,654 tourists from May through August. It was awarded the Norwegian Construction of the Century award in 2005, which was awarded by the construction industry. In 2006, The Guardian
declared it the world's best road trip. The road has become a popular place for the automotive industry to film automotive advertisements; more than ten manufacturers have made television commercials along the road. In December 2009, the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage
preserved the road. The Atlantic Ocean Tunnel between Averøy and Kristiansund opened on 19 December 2009. In combination with the Atlantic Ocean Road, it provides a fixed link for Kristiansund to Molde. This is the second fixed link between the two towns, after the 1992 opening of the Kristiansund and Frei Fixed Link.
Norwegian County Road 64
County Road 64 is a two-lane highway which runs between Kristiansund and Åndalsnes in Møre og Romsdal, Norway. It branches from National Road 70 in Kristiansund, runs through the Atlantic Ocean Tunnel, through the island of Averøy, and across the Atlantic Ocean Road to Eide...
which runs through an archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
in Eide
Eide
Eide is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the region of Nordmøre. It is located on the Romsdal peninsula, along the Kornstadfjord and the Kvernesfjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Eide...
and Averøy
Averøy
Averøy is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the region of Nordmøre. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bruhagen. Other villages in the municipality include Sveggen, Bremsnes, Vebenstad, Kvernes, Kornstad, Kårvåg, and Langøy.The...
in Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It runs along the unsheltered Hustadvika
Hustadvika
Hustadvika is a long section of coastline outside the municipality of Fræna in Romsdal, Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the shipping route between Molde and Kristiansund. The area is shallow and is full of little islands and reefs...
between the villages of Kårvåg
Kårvåg
Kårvåg is a village in the municipality of Averøy in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located on the west side of the island of Averøya near the east end of the Atlanterhavsveien. The village of Kornstad lies to the south and Langøy is to the north. The village has a population of 275....
on Averøy with Vevang
Vevang
Vevang is a village in Eide, Norway. It is located on the western end of the Atlantic Ocean Road....
in Eide, and is a fixed link connecting the island of Averøy to the mainland and Romsdalshalvøya. The road is built on several small islands and skerries
Skerry
A skerry is a small rocky island, usually defined to be too small for habitation. It may simply be a rocky reef. A skerry can also be called a low sea stack....
, and is spanned by eight bridges—the most prominent being Storseisundet Bridge
Storseisundet Bridge
Storseisundet Bridge is the longest of the eight bridges that make up the Atlanterhavsveien , the road connection from the mainland Romsdal peninsula to the island of Averøya in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway....
—several causeways and viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
s. The road has an open sea view, making it one of the most-visited natural tourist attraction in the country.
Plans for a railway along the route dates in the early 20th century, but was ultimately abandoned. Construction started on 1 August 1983 and the work was subject to twelve hurricanes. The road was opened on 7 July 1989; it cost 122 million Norwegian krone
Norwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
(NOK) and was financed 25% by tolls
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
. The toll road was scheduled to remain in use for 15 years, but by June 1999 the road was paid off and the toll removed. The road is preserved, is classified as a National Tourist Routes
National Tourist Routes in Norway
National Tourist Routes in Norway is a Norwegian Public Roads Administration designation for road routes that offer a picturesque trip and have been upgraded with tourist-friendly infrastructure, such as rest stops and viewpoints. Eighteen routes have been selected, of which six have been...
, is a popular site to film automotive commercials, and has been declared the world's best road trip and the Norwegian Construction of the Century. In 2009, the Atlantic Ocean Tunnel
Atlantic Ocean Tunnel
The Atlantic Ocean Tunnel is an undersea tunnel that connects the city of Kristiansund with the island of Averøya to the west in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The long tunnel reaches a depth of , making it one of the deepest undersea tunnels in the world. Construction began in 2006 and the...
opened from Averøy to Kristiansund
Kristiansund
Kristiansund is a city and municipality on the western coast of Norway, in the Nordmøre district of Møre og Romsdal county. It was officially awarded township status in 1742, and it is still the major town for the region. The administrative center of the municipality is the city of Kristiansund...
; in combination with the Atlantic Ocean Road, it has become the second fixed link between Kristiansund and Molde
Molde
is a city and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Romsdal region. The municipality is located on the Romsdal Peninsula, surrounding the Fannefjord and Moldefjord...
.
Route description
The Atlantic Ocean Road is a 8.274 kilometres (5.1 mi) long section of County Road 64 which runs across an archipelago of partially inhabited islands and skerries. The road connects the island and municipality of Averøy with the mainland at Eide. To the north lays the unsheltered Hustadvika while to the south lays Lauvøyfjorden. The road has a width of 6.5 metres (21.3 ft) and a maximum gradient of eight percent. The road consists of eight bridge and four resting places, all accommodated as viewpoints. Several tourist sites and accommodation, including for dining, fishing and scuba diving, have been established on the islands along the road. Along with road from Vevang to BudBud, Norway
Bud is a fishing village and former municipality in the present-day municipality of Fræna in Møre og Romsdal county in western Norway. The village is located on the Romsdal peninsula along the Atlanterhavsveien, west of the village of Hustad, north of the village of Tornes, and east of the...
, the Atlantic Ocean Road has been designated one of eighteen National Tourist Routes.
Starting on Averøy, the road runs from Utheim, close to the village of Kårvåg in Averøy. It runs onto the isle of Kuholmen and the across the 115 metres (377.3 ft) long Little Lauvholmen Bridge, which has a clearance below of 7 metres (23 ft), onto the isle of Lille Lauvøy. The road then runs across the 52 metres (170.6 ft) long Store Lauvøysund Bridge, which has a clearance below of 3 metres (10 ft), onto the isle of Store Lauvøy. Next the road runs across Geitøysund Bridge, which has a clearance below of 6 metres (19.7 ft), onto the isle of Geitøya, which features a viewpoint and parking. The road then runs across Eldhusøya and Lyngholmen, before reaching Ildhusøya, where there is a resting place, parking and a viewpoint. The road then runs over Storseisundet Bridge, a cantilever bridge
Cantilever bridge
A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using cantilevers, structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end. For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beams; however, large cantilever bridges designed to handle road or rail traffic use trusses built from...
which is 260 metres (853 ft) long and has a clearance below of 23 metres (75.5 ft). The municipal border between Eide and Averøy runs under the bridge. The road then runs across Flatskjæret, where there is a viewpoint, before crossing the three Hulvågen Bridges, which combined are 293 metres (961.3 ft) long and have a clearance below of 4 metres (13.1 ft), onto Hulvågen. From there the road crosses Skarvøy and Strømsholmen, both which has a resting place. It then crosses to the mainland across the 119 metres (390.4 ft) long Vevangstraumen Bridge, which has a clearance below of 10 metres (32.8 ft).
History
The first plans to build across the archipelago was a possible railway between Molde and Kristiansund. In the early 20th century, plans were being made for the Rauma Line to be built to Møre og Romsdal, and several proposals were made to extend it to the coastal towns. In 1921, Møre og Romsdal County Council made a decision to build the railway from Molde to Kristiansund via the outer route, which would have included the path of the Atlantic Ocean Road. However, the Rauma Line was never built further than ÅndalsnesÅndalsnes
is a town in the municipality of Rauma in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Åndalsnes is the administrative center of Rauma. The town has a population of 2,207...
and in 1935 Parliament decided to connect the coastal towns in Møre og Romsdal to Åndalsnes via road instead of rail.
Although the plans were officially shelved, locals continued to work with plans to build a road across the archipelago, which would have allowed Averøy a fixed link to the mainland. The limited company Atlanterhavsveien AS was established in 1970 as a toll company to finance the road. Arne Rettedal
Arne Rettedal
Arne Rettedal was Norwegian engineer, businessperson and politician for the Conservative Party. He is best known as the Minister of Local Government and Labour from 1981 to 1986, mayor of Stavanger from 1965 to 1967 and 1972 to 1981 and county mayor of Rogaland from 1988 to 1991.He was born in...
, who was Minister of Local Government and Regional Development
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development (Norway)
The Minister of Local Government and Regional Development is a Norwegian minister that is head of the Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development...
in the early 1980s, proposed that job creation funds could be allocated to road projects. The proposal was approved in 1983, after the proposal had been seconded by the municipalities of Averøy, Eide and Fræna
Fræna
Fræna is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the region of Romsdal. The municipality is located on the Romsdal peninsula surrounding the Frænfjorden, the eastern shore of the Julsund strait, and includes most of the Hustadvika area...
. Construction started as a municipal road project on 1 August 1983, but construction was slow. From 1 July 1986, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration
Norwegian Public Roads Administration
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration is a Norwegian government agency responsible for the state and county public roads in the country. This includes planning, construction and operation of the state and county road networks, driver training and licensing, vehicle inspection and subsidies to...
look over the project, and the road was opened on 7 July 1989. During construction the area was subject to twelve hurricanes. The opening of the road allowed the Tøvik–Ørjavik Ferry to be terminated.
Construction cost NOK 122 million and was financed 25% by tolls, 25% by job creation funds and 50% by ordinary state road grants. There was significant local opposition against toll financing the road, and few people believed it would be possible to pay off the road in the stipulated 15 years. By June 1999 the road was paid off and the toll removed. This was caused by both better-than-predicted local traffic using the road, in addition to a large amount of tourist traffic.
The road was in 2009 Norway's ninth-most-visited natural tourist attraction, with 258,654 tourists from May through August. It was awarded the Norwegian Construction of the Century award in 2005, which was awarded by the construction industry. In 2006, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
declared it the world's best road trip. The road has become a popular place for the automotive industry to film automotive advertisements; more than ten manufacturers have made television commercials along the road. In December 2009, the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage
Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage
The Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage is a government agency responsible for the management of cultural heritage in Norway. Subordinate the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, it manages the Cultural Heritage Act of June 9, 1978....
preserved the road. The Atlantic Ocean Tunnel between Averøy and Kristiansund opened on 19 December 2009. In combination with the Atlantic Ocean Road, it provides a fixed link for Kristiansund to Molde. This is the second fixed link between the two towns, after the 1992 opening of the Kristiansund and Frei Fixed Link.
Junctions
| Municipality | km | Length | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Averøy Averøy Averøy is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the region of Nordmøre. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bruhagen. Other villages in the municipality include Sveggen, Bremsnes, Vebenstad, Kvernes, Kornstad, Kårvåg, and Langøy.The... |
0.000 | — | County Road 247 |
| — | 115 m (377.3 ft) | Little Lauvholmen Bridge | |
| — | 52 m (170.6 ft) | Store Lauvøysund Bridge | |
| — | 52 m (170.6 ft) | Geitøysund Bridge | |
| — | 260 m (853 ft) | Storseisundet Bridge Storseisundet Bridge Storseisundet Bridge is the longest of the eight bridges that make up the Atlanterhavsveien , the road connection from the mainland Romsdal peninsula to the island of Averøya in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway.... |
|
| Eide Eide Eide is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the region of Nordmøre. It is located on the Romsdal peninsula, along the Kornstadfjord and the Kvernesfjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Eide... |
|||
| — | 293 m (961.3 ft) | Hulvågen Bridges | |
| — | 119 m (390.4 ft) | Vevangstraumen Bridge | |
| 8.274 | — | County Road 663 |