The Oslofjord bridge idea linking Moss and Horten briefly returned to Norway’s headlines this week, but the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens vegvesen) now says it was the result of a misunderstanding and that no bridge or tunnel is being planned. The clarification came after reports on Wednesday and Thursday (4–5 February 2026) suggested a “ferry‑free” crossing might again be under consideration.
How the Oslofjord bridge story resurfaced
Local newspaper Moss Avis reported on Wednesday that a fixed link across the Oslofjord could once again be on the table, citing information it said came from Statens vegvesen. The next day, the claim spread further when it was repeated by national media.
By Thursday, Statens vegvesen moved to correct the record. Development director Kjell Inge Davik said a bridge or tunnel across the Oslofjord is not under consideration, describing the chain of reporting as a misunderstanding rooted in an internal communication failure.
Statens vegvesen: fix Moss traffic, keep the ferry
The agency’s clarification does not mean the transport problems around the Moss–Horten connection have disappeared. The Moss–Horten ferry is a key link in the outer Oslofjord area and heavy demand can spill traffic into Moss, affecting local mobility and logistics.
Davik’s message was that the challenge is real—especially the congestion created by ferry traffic in Moss—but that the answer is not reopening the debate over a new cross‑fjord bridge or tunnel. Instead, the focus remains on improving how traffic moves between the ferry terminal and the national road network.
Why the Moss–Horten fixed link was shelved in 2018
Norway has assessed fixed links over the Oslofjord multiple times over the past decade. In the 2010s, analyses considered different concepts, including a bridge or tunnel between Moss and Horten.
But the Ministry of Transport (Samferdselsdepartementet) halted further work on alternatives that would replace the ferry in 2018, citing cost concerns and the scale of the investment. That decision set the direction for subsequent planning: ferry operations would continue, and the main priority would be to reduce the local and regional impacts of ferry‑related traffic—particularly in Moss.
What is being planned instead: Rv 19 upgrades and corridor choices
Rather than a new cross‑fjord connection, the major project currently shaping this corridor is the planning of a new or upgraded National Road 19 (Rv 19) through Moss, the main approach route to the ferry terminal.
The Public Roads Administration frames the project as significant locally, regionally and nationally, pointing to growing traffic‑handling problems between the port area and the E6 connections north and south of the city. The project is also part of Miljøløftet Moss, a cooperation agreement that aims for zero growth in local private car traffic while improving transport and urban conditions.
In 2021, the Ministry of Transport backed continued planning work on several corridor alternatives for Rv 19, with requirements that include environmental constraints and further assessment of issues such as quick clay, as well as the future location of the ferry terminal.
