HISTORY
The great majority of toll road schemes can be a combination of several sources founding : budgetary,
credits, toll revenue or loans.
Funding from tolls has been a success in Norway, with nearly 100 projects being carried out on basis. However, owing to changes in the country’s economic situation and certain decisions that can be regarded at least as debatable, some projects have experienced funding problems.
Until the mid-1980’s, toll funding accounted for less than 5% of total investment in Norway’s roads. Since 1985 however, the private sector’s contribution has steadily risen and over the last 10 years it has contributed between 20 and 35% of the capital cost of 35 projects.
Thus Norway’s recourse to toll funding shows the determination to speed up the construction of large road projects, which could not be carried through on the basis of public funding alone.
FUTURE TRENDS
Norway has declared its intention of concentrating on modernising its system, and with this in view, the Ministry for communications has set itself the priority task of keeping investment in new projects at a high level.
Accordingly it is considering the possibility of increasing the number of toll roads, particulary on the main road system, which carries substantial traffic.
Also the Ministry for Communications does not rule out the idea of introducing tolls to roads for the purpose of regulating traffic. Priority is placed on investment in infrastructure, the aim being to increase the level of investment in viable road schemes.
The Norwegian toll companies are faced with a number of challenges.
The need for roads is determined on the basis of regional economic development and the expected
local spin-offf. It is worth noting that the provinces and towns that have adopted the principle of funding their
road schemes through tolls receive more credits from the national roads budget.
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