The history of the road

Before the construction of the Trolltunga road, the electrical power company Tyssefaldene used an inclined cable railway with simple trolleys to move equipment and people up the mountain to the nearby hydro power reservoirs. By the 1970's it was clear that one had to choose to renew the cable railway or build a road to replace it. For some decades it was decided best to maintain the railway, but as it's certificates expired in 2011-12 there was no going back.

There was some controversy over the building of a new road, but finally a permit for the project was given in march 2013. The road project is owned and funded by a business venture established for the sole purpose of constructing the road: Mågelia Utvikling AS. Shareholders of the company are the local resident's association and the Tyssefaldene power company.

 

Finally the road construction started in 2015, and presented lots of geological challenges to the engineers. Rocks and mountain ridges had to be blasted with dynamite, and morains had to be stabilized.

 

When the winter snow thawed in 2016 the work resumed, and the final stretch to the plateau was on it's way. By November the foundation for the parking lot and turning area at the top was in place.