The E39 in question

News from Bergen / Vestland over the past 48 hours: the E39 construction project at Vadheim remains absent from the national budget, the strike is spreading to Mongstad and Kollsnes, and Brann announces measures following homophobic abuse at the Stadion. Norwegian Parkinson research disappoints, while a Telenor outage disrupted rail traffic across the country.

News from Bergen / Vestland: the E39 at Vadheim remains a black spot

Among the 1042 kilometres of Norwegian national and European roads judged too narrow for a central yellow line, one of the main bottlenecks is on the E39 at Vadheim, in Høyanger municipality, in Vestland county (NRK Bergen / Vestland). According to NRK, none of the black spots identified in its investigation appears in the state budget. The mayor of Høyanger, Petter Sortland (Ap), has long been waiting for a tunnel at Vadheim, where two large vehicles cannot pass each other (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

"This is not worthy of 2026. You wouldn't think you were in the Norway of prosperity," the elected official said (NRK Bergen / Vestland). He recalls that the section is a daily obstacle for users of the European road linking Bergen to the east of the country. A former Minister of Transport also said he was unimpressed by the budget presented, according to the same source.

This issue illustrates the tension between national announcements and local needs in Vestland, where several municipalities are awaiting budget decisions. These questions are at the heart of Bergen / Vestland news in early October, while the works schedule remains uncertain.

Labour dispute: the strike spreads to Mongstad and Kollsnes

The industrial action launched on 25 September is hardening. Fellesforbundet has broken off mediation with NHO Service og Handel, and more than 200 members across five Norwegian coastal sites are already on strike (NRK Bergen / Vestland). From Friday morning, 48 additional members are joining the movement, bringing the total to 253 employees (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

The agreement known as "Landforpleiningsavtalen" covers accommodation, catering and cleaning staff working for the onshore oil and gas industry. Two sites in Vestland, Mongstad and Kollsnes, are directly affected. Fellesforbundet's head of negotiations, Gard Hofsvang, stresses that the workers concerned are among the lowest paid in the country and are facing rising costs, with expectations of improved purchasing power (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

The unions are demanding, among other things, the early restoration of sickness, care and parental benefits. No timetable for the resumption of negotiations has been announced.

In Bergen, Brann reacts after homophobic abuse at the Stadion

During a match between Brann and Aalesund in the spring, Alexander Papas, SV elected representative for Vestland, teacher and club supporter, witnessed homophobic insults shouted by a group of young boys in the stands (NRK Bergen / Vestland). The abuse was aimed at the Aalesund goalkeeper. When confronted, the perpetrators allegedly stepped up their behaviour, according to his account (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

Papas published a text this week on his Instagram account entitled "Three episodes". Sportsklubben Brann says it will follow the matter. "Everyone must feel safe at the stadium," the club said (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

Research: disappointment for the Norwegian Parkinson's study

Despite positive results in preliminary studies, the Norwegian researchers behind the large-scale Nopark study did not achieve the hoped-for breakthrough. They remain optimistic about the continuation of the work, however (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

📌 Local briefs

Overnight, two teenagers rode the same electric scooter through the Glaskartunnelen tunnel, on the E39 at Åsane, in Bergen. The vehicle exceeded the legal limit of 20 km/h; one of the boys, aged 15, was taken to Haukeland hospital, while the other continued on his way before the police arrived (NRK Bergen / Vestland). Police are asking parents for help in the face of the rise in cases of electric scooters exceeding the legal speed.

A couple, Rita (66) and Ole (73), was rescued by a rescue helicopter after their boat hit a reef at Stadlandet (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

A man in his fifties, already convicted of grooming in the case known as "pedojegersaka" in Sogn in 2024, is being prosecuted for threatening behaviour and sexual assaults; the prosecution is requesting an additional six months in prison (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

A Telenor network outage disrupted calls, SMS and mobile data across the country, leading to train stoppages and delays, including for travellers in Vestland. Bane Nor announced that the problem had been resolved in the evening (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

Sources: NRK Bergen / Vestland, Bergens Tidende, The Local Norway — Period: 08 October 2026 and 09 October 2026