Forest roads, 1999

A total of 218 kilometres [corrected 5.6.2001] of new, whole-year roads were built in 1999, compared with 290 kilometres in 1998. The decline in 1999 amounts to a reduction of 25 [corrected 5.6.2001] per cent from the previous year. Hedmark and Buskerud are the two counties where the most kilometres of new forest roads were built with the completion of 33 and 20 kilometres of recently built roads respectively. Close behind come Sør-Trøndelag county with 19 kilometres and Troms county with 18 kilometres. Østfold is the county with the least new construction; only 2 [corrected 5.6.2001] kilometres was completed in 1999.

More reconstruction than new construction

The number of kilometres of altered and rebuilt forest roads for lorries declined from 503 kilometres in 1998 to 432 kilometres in 1999. After 1993 more kilometres of roads have been rebuilt than have been newly built, and in 1999 the reconstruction was about twice as great as the new construction. Some previously newly built roads have been in need of upgrading, and as a result the decline in reconstruction has not been as great as the decline in new construction. When it comes to reconstruction, Hedmark county also heads these statistics with 89 kilometres of rebuilt road. Telemark county is number two with 87 kilometres.

The number of completed winter roads for lorries and roads for tractors has declined by 407 [corrected 5.6.2001] facilities in one year. This decline is due to a reduction in recently completed roads. In one year, new construction has declined by 134 kilometres, from 707 kilometres in 1998 to 575 [corrected 5.6.2001] kilometres in 1999. Winter roads for lorries and roads for tractors are of a more temporary nature because they are built in connection with logging, and this entails that the need for reconstruction is less. In 1999, 29 kilometres of these roads were rebuilt, the same as in 1998. Telemark and Aust-Agder are the two counties where the most winter roads for lorries and roads for tractors have been built with 126 and 64 kilometres respectively completed in 1999.

Less expenses

The total costs for construction and reconstruction amounted to NOK 164 million in 1999, which meant a decline in construction expenses of NOK 14 million compared with 1998. Government subsidies and loans covered NOK 61 million of the costs, and the remaining NOK 103 million were covered by the contractors themselves. The road construction expenditures are divided between NOK 119 million for whole-year roads for lorries and NOK 45 million for winter roads for lorries and roads for tractors.