The road, the E134, would have a speed limit of 110 kilometres per hour and costs for construction could reach 150 billion kroner, NRK reports.

With the drive between the capital and the west coast city currently taking around seven hours, the new road would make for a considerable reduction to journey times.

Nye Veier AS, the state-owned road construction company formed in 2016, wants to build the new four-lane E134 motorway and presented its proposal earlier this week, according to the broadcaster’s report.

“We envisage being able to reduce journey times to around four hours,” Nye Veier CEO Anette Aanesland told NRK.

However, a spokesperson for high-speed railway builder Norsk Bane said the estimated cost of between 120 and 150 billion kroner would be better spent on a fast rail connection between the cities, which it said would cost around them same.

“The railway would cost 150 to 200 billion kroner (to build), but overall costs would be much less. Operational income would help to pay off investment,” the company’s director Jørh Westermann told NRK.

A high-speed rail connection could bring the journey down to as little as 2.5 hours and also provide faster transportation for goods, he also said.

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