European route E134 (Norwegian: Europavei 134) is a European highway that crosses Norway starting at Haugesund Airport, Karmøy near the city of Haugesund on the west coast, heading over Haukeli, passing the city of Drammen, and ending in Vassum on the east side of the Oslofjord Tunnel.[1]
With the highest point at 1,085 metres (3,560 ft) above sea level, the road is sensitive to snow conditions and foul weather during the winter season, during which the mountainous sections, especially near Haukelifjell skiing center, may be closed in short periods. The stretch of road through the mountains is called Haukelifjell.
Route
Rogaland county
- Karmøy municipality
- Haugesund municipality
- Karmøy municipality
- Tysvær municipality
- Vindafjord municipality
Vestland county
- Etne municipality
- Etnesjøen village
Åkrafjord Tunnel: 7,404 metres (24,291 ft)- Markhus Tunnel: 2,405 metres (7,890 ft)
Langfossen waterfall- Fjæra Tunnel: 1,518 metres (4,980 ft)
- Rullestad Tunnel: 2,947 metres (9,669 ft)
- Ullensvang municipality
Rv13 to Skare and Odda- Seljestad Tunnel: 1,272 metres (4,173 ft)
- Røldal Tunnel: 4,657 metres (15,279 ft)
- Horda Tunnel: 475 metres (1,558 ft)
- Håra village
- Røldal village
- Austmannali Tunnel: 903 metres (2,963 ft)
- Haukeli Tunnel: 5,682 metres (18,642 ft) - replaced the Old Dyrskartunnel
Haukelifjell
Telemark county
- Vinje municipality
- Vinje village
- Vågslid Tunnel: 1,647 metres (5,404 ft)
- Haukeli center
Rv9 to Setesdalen district- Åmot center
- Vinje village
- Tokke municipality
- Høydalsmo village
- Kviteseid municipality
- Seljord municipality
- Seljord village
Rv36 to Bø municipality
- Flatdal village
- Mælefjell Tunnel: ↓ 9,500 metres (31,200 ft)
- Seljord village
- Hjartdal municipality
- Hjartdal village
- Mælefjell Tunnel: ↑ 9,500 metres (31,200 ft)
- Sauland village
- Hjartdal village
- Notodden municipality
Buskerud county
- Kongsberg municipality
- Kongsberg city
- Øvre Eiker municipality
- Hokksund town
- Drammen municipality
- Lier municipality
Akershus county
- Asker municipality
- Elgskauås Tunnel: 2,630 metres (8,630 ft)
- Oslofjord Tunnel: 7,273 metres (23,862 ft)
History
A road over the mountain along this route was opened first time in 1889. In 1968, the Haukeli Tunnel (5.6 km (3.5 mi)) was opened allowing reliable wintertime traffic.
The road was numbered as European route E76 before 1992, when the numbering system of all of the European routes in the Nordic countries was revised. Initially, there was not room for it in the system, and road became called Norwegian National Road 11 (Riksvei 11). Due to local wishes and steadily increasing of the road standard during the 1990s, it again received European route status, with the number E134.
The route has many tunnels, especially in the mountainous sections in the central and western parts, especially along the Åkrafjorden, where is passes the Langfossen waterfall. Prior to the opening of the tunnels, some of the fjord sections of the road were quite steep and very narrow; around 5 metres (16 ft) wide. This was far less than the 8.5-metre (28 ft) minimum requirement for European routes, and well below the minimum requirement to allow two trucks to pass. During the 2010s, a new series of upgrades has been planned to further improve the road in the Seljord-Hjartdal area as well as in Vindafjord.
In 2011 E134 was extended by 10 kilometres (6.2 mi), to end at Haugesund Airport instead of near city centre. In 2018 E134 was extended by 40 kilometres (25 mi), to include the Oslofjord Tunnel, letting it end at Vassum at the European route E6 in Frogn municipality in Eastern Norway. In 2019 the E134 was shortened by about 10 km by being routed through the newly opened Mælefjell Tunnel.
Places of interest
The highway runs near several places of interest:
- Heddal Stave Church
- Silvermine in Kongsberg
- Ski museum in Morgedal
- Old Hotel Haukeliseter
- Røldal Stave Church
Road conditions
When driving along the road, one may see many of the following words on signs or road condition web sites:[3]
- Haukelifjell = The main mountain pass on E 134, just south of the Hardangervidda mountain plateau
- Midlertidig stengt = Temporarily closed
- Kolonnekjøring = Driving in line after a snow plough truck only.
- Nattestengt = Closed by night
- Vegarbeid = Road work
- Kjøreforhold = Driving conditions
- Snø / snødekke = Snowy road
- Is / isdekke = Icy road
- Glatt = Slippery
- Bart = Bare road
- Vått = Wet road
- Fare for elg = Watch out for moose
References
- ^ "Amendments to the Agreement" (PDF). Inland Transport Committee | Working Party on Road Transport. United Nations Economic and Social Council. 2016-08-09.
- ^ "E134 Skjoldavik-Solheim" (in Norwegian). Statens vegvesen.
- ^ Trafikkmeldinger
External links
This page was last edited on 19 March 2024, at 21:58