Lofoten Mainland Connection
Encyclopedia
Lofoten Mainland Connection or Lofast is a part of European route E10
that connects the Norwegian
archipelago
of Lofoten
to the mainland, giving direct access to Lofoten from the surrounding municipalities.
The construction of this road was started autumn 1993, and temporarily shut down in 1998, when the first part was finished. It started up again in 2003, and Lofast was officially opened December 1, 2007. Actually Lofast connects Lofoten with the older road network on Hinnøya
which was already connected to the mainland.
E10 from Lofoten to the mainland formerly went through the Vesterålen
archipelago, with the Melbu–Fiskebøl Ferry. This road went through several towns with uneven speed limits. Lofast is a significantly shorter road connection across Hinnøya
to the mainland that requires no ferry crossings and allows driving at relatively high speeds. For instance, the bus ride from Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes
to Svolvær
in Lofoten, which used to take 4 hours 15 minutes including a ferry trip (210 km), now takes only 3 hours incl. stops (170 km). This trip can even be as short as just over 2 hours if driven with a car without stops.
All the larger islands in Lofoten are already connected by bridges or undersea tunnels. This means that after the construction of Lofast most of Lofoten is now connected to the mainland of Norway. The Lofast uses several tunnels, the largest is Sørdal Tunnel (6.3 km) and there is also Sløverfjord Tunnel (3.3 km) and five more tunnels and a 700 m long Raftsund Bridge
. The final bridge crossing from Hinnøya over to the mainland is with the previously existing Tjeldsund Bridge
.
European route E10
European route E 10 is a road part of the International E-road network. It begins in Å, Norway and ends in Luleå, Sweden. The road is about 850 km in length...
that connects the Norwegian
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...
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...
of Lofoten
Lofoten
Lofoten is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Though lying within the Arctic Circle, the archipelago experiences one of the world's largest elevated temperature anomalies relative to its high latitude.-Etymology:...
to the mainland, giving direct access to Lofoten from the surrounding municipalities.
Hinnøya
-Geography and environment:Covering an area of , it is the fourth-largest island in the country, and the largest off the mainland. The western part of the island is in the Vesterålen district, while the southwestern part is in Lofoten. As of 2006, it had a population of 31,851, of which the only...
which was already connected to the mainland.
E10 from Lofoten to the mainland formerly went through the Vesterålen
Vesterålen
Vesterålen is a district and archipelago in Nordland, Norway, just north of Lofoten.-The name:The Norse forms of the name were Vestráll and Vestrálar . The first element is vestr n west, the last element is áll m ' sound, strait'...
archipelago, with the Melbu–Fiskebøl Ferry. This road went through several towns with uneven speed limits. Lofast is a significantly shorter road connection across Hinnøya
Hinnøya
-Geography and environment:Covering an area of , it is the fourth-largest island in the country, and the largest off the mainland. The western part of the island is in the Vesterålen district, while the southwestern part is in Lofoten. As of 2006, it had a population of 31,851, of which the only...
to the mainland that requires no ferry crossings and allows driving at relatively high speeds. For instance, the bus ride from Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes
Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes
Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes is located in the Evenes municipality, in Nordland county in northern Norway. Some of the runway lighting at the north end of the runway crosses the county border into the Skånland municipality in Troms...
to Svolvær
Svolvær
-Communications:Parts of the town is built on small islands connected by bridges. There is a regional airport near the town, Svolvær Airport, Helle, and Svolvær is a port of call for Hurtigruten. There is a ferry connection Svolvær to Skutvik in Hamarøy, and express boat connections to Bodø...
in Lofoten, which used to take 4 hours 15 minutes including a ferry trip (210 km), now takes only 3 hours incl. stops (170 km). This trip can even be as short as just over 2 hours if driven with a car without stops.
All the larger islands in Lofoten are already connected by bridges or undersea tunnels. This means that after the construction of Lofast most of Lofoten is now connected to the mainland of Norway. The Lofast uses several tunnels, the largest is Sørdal Tunnel (6.3 km) and there is also Sløverfjord Tunnel (3.3 km) and five more tunnels and a 700 m long Raftsund Bridge
Raftsund Bridge
Raftsund Bridge is a cantilever road bridge that crosses Raftsundet between Austvågøya and Hinnøya in Nordland county, Norway. The bridge is 711 metres long, the main span is 298 metres, and the maximum clearance to the sea is 45 metres...
. The final bridge crossing from Hinnøya over to the mainland is with the previously existing Tjeldsund Bridge
Tjeldsund Bridge
The Tjeldsund Bridge is a suspension road bridge that crosses Tjeldsundet between the mainland and Hinnøya in Troms county in Norway. The bridge is 1007 metres long, the main span is 290 metres, and the maximum clearance to the sea is 41 metres...
.