European route E6

E6 is the designation for the main north-south road in Norway, and the west coast of Sweden, running from the southern tip of Sweden, at Trelleborg, into Norway and through almost all of the country north to Finnmark. The route ends close to the Norwegian border with Russia. Its length is convert|3140|km|mi|abbr=on.

This road was called E6 in the old "E" road system before 1985, and it used to continue all the way to Rome. It was given the number E47 (but not signposted) in the new system on most of the Scandinavian part, and E6 only for the northernmost convert|460|km|mi|abbr=on (from Olderfjord in Porsanger). After a political negotiation all of the Scandinavian part was given the number E6 also in the new system which was introduced in Scandinavia 1992.

E6 follows the route Trelleborg, Malmö, Helsingborg, Halmstad, Gothenburg, Svinesund, Sarpsborg, Oslo, Hamar, Lillehammer, Dombås, Melhus, Trondheim, Stjørdal, Steinkjer, Grong, Mosjøen, Mo i Rana, Fauske, then further up to Hamarøy with a ferry from Bognes to Skarberget then on via Narvik, Setermoen, Alta, Olderfjord, Lakselv, Karasjok, Varangerbotn, Kirkenes.

The road E6 is motorway from outside Trelleborg to north of Uddevalla. It is also motorway on parts of the route from Uddevalla to Gardermoen north of Oslo. According to plans it will be motorway all the way from Trelleborg to Gardermoen in 2012. The rest of the road is ordinary road, usually 6-8 m wide, except when it runs through cities such as Trondheim. Some parts in the extreme north of Norway are less than convert|6|m|ft|abbr=on wide, making it very tight when heavy vehicles meet. It is also often very curvy, at least on the northern half, north of Trondheim.The road E6 passes over treeless mountain passes in a few places in Norway. In the winter the weather conditions often can be so rough that the road must be closed temporarily.

External links

* [http://www.vegvesen.no/trafikk/vegmeldinger/rapport/index.jsp?report_id=10 Road conditions for Mountain passes in southern Norway (in Norwegian only)]
* [http://www.vegvesen.no/trafikk/vegmeldinger/rapport/index.jsp?report_id=11 Road conditions for Mountain passes in northern Norway (in Norwegian only)]