Opening & Closure of Roads

There are well over 100 mountain roads in Norway many of which are closed for large periods of the year. Only the main roads that are essential to keeping supplies moving are kept open with the help of snowplows. The less essential roads usually close when heavy snow starts to fall in late autumn or early winter. 

In March and April, road opening teams with heavy machinery get to work on clearing the closed mountain roads. Every year, they experienced different conditions. Sometimes, there are massive amounts of snow that take time to clear. In other years, a lack of snowfall means the roads are quickly cleared and opened well on schedule. However, you must remember even if a road opens quickly, spring in the mountains is a volatile time with avalanche threats present. Mountain roads may close without prior notice and fresh snowfall may keep them closed for a period of time. 

Please note there is never a set date for a road to open. If you’re travelling from abroad and are determined to cycle the famous high passes, you should plan to start your journey in early to mid-June to be *guaranteed that everything is open. 

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration has a webpage dedicated to the mountain roads and their current status. It is currently only in Norwegian but I think non-speakers can figure out red = closed und green = open. You can also sign up for their text message service on the same page. Choose the roads you wish updates on, and you will get live messages sent to your phone.

There is also a Traffic and Road information line at +47 815 48 991. But don’t expect any further information than what is already online. 

*roads can close anytime during summer due to heavy rain, landslides, traffic accidents and other unforeseen events. 

Most of these roads stay open until October or later with the exception of Gamle Strynefjellsvegen.

• Aurlandsfjellet: Usually opens early June
• Gamle Strynefjellsvegen: Usally open mid June and closes end of September.
• Gaularfjellet: Usually opens mid May
• Geiranger/Dalsnibba: Usually opens late May
• Sognefjellet: Usually opens late April / early May
• Ryfylke: Usually opens mid May
• Trollstigen: Usually opens late May
• Valdresflye: Usually opens late March /early April
• Varanger: Usually opens mid May