Österleden, Stockholm

Österleden (the East Route) is a planned motorway in Stockholm, Sweden.^[1] The road is intended to on the east side of the Stockholm City Centre bind together the Norra länken and Södra länken motorways to create a completed Stockholm ring road.

As of 2007 the road project has undergone a feasibility study, and is awaiting feedback from the County Administrative Board of Stockholm.^[1]

In January 2008 Kristina Axén Olin, the Mayor of Stockholm, said that the political majority in Stockholm Municipality was in favor of constructing the road, but according to the plan with the Swedish Road Administration the construction start would not occur until 2020 and completion in 2030.^[2]

History

Architect model 1948 for Österbron (the East Bridge) by the German consulting firm Fritsch & Co, Heidelberg

Plans on a road connection using a bridge east of the city centre were part of the early regional plans, and city general plans in 1928 and 1960.^[3]

A motorway in a tunnel east of the city centre was one of the road projects of the Dennis Agreement from 1992, a political agreement for road construction in the Stockholm area. Österleden was to be the eastern part of a ring road around central Stockholm. The planning of the road was cancelled in 1997 when the agreement was broken.^[1][3][4]

A new feasibility study was finished in 2006, and is as of 2007 awaiting feedback from the County Administrative Board.^[1]

Studied alignments

The feasibility study contains three suggested alignments of the road:^[3]

• Alternative C
  • New tunnel beneath the Stockholm City Centre west of Southern Djurgården
  • Estimated cost: 12–15 billion SEK
• Alternative D
  • New tunnel with approximately the same alignment as in the early 1990s plans, beneath Saltsjön and Djurgården
  • Estimated cost: 9–12 billion SEK
• Alternative F
  • New tunnel between Nacka and Lidingö
  • Estimated cost: 10–15 billion SEK

References

1. "Östlig förbindelse". Swedish Road Administration. 2006-10-17. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
2. "Stökigt i Stockholm många år framöver". Dagens Nyheter. 2008-01-06. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
3. Markstedt, Anders; Faith-Ell, Charlotta; Ingo, Susanne; Fors, Peter (2006-04-25). "Förstudie Östlig förbindelse". Swedish Road Administration, Region Stockholm. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
4. Malmsten, Bo; Persson, Magnus (2000). Dennispaketet – låsningar och lösningar. Regionplane- och trafikkontoret, Stockholms läns landsting. ISBN 91-86574-55-8. Retrieved 2007-08-15.