The EFTA Surveillance Authority says that 68 Norwegian road tunnels that are part of the European road network Tern do not meet the EEA rules’ minimum safety requirements.
The rules on tunnel safety came into force in December 2006, and existing tunnels should have been upgraded by the end of April last year.
ESA has now asked Norway to address the issue.
Norway has three months to respond.
“We’ve decided to call on Norway to meet the safety requirements for road tunnels for the benefit of road users,” ESA President Bente Angell-Hansen noted in a press release.
Upgrade in progress
Despite the ongoing work to upgrade the tunnels, the Norwegian government has indicated that it would take several years before all the tunnels meet the minimum safety requirements.
One of the goals of the minimum requirements is to prevent incidents that could endanger lives.
ESA, therefore, believes that the government should prioritize the safety of road users and speed up the work on upgrading the tunnels.
If Norway fails to act, ESA could take the case to the EFTA Court.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
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