Bybanen to Åsane, Norseman 2027 and east-west closures

Bergen / Vestland news for 16 and 17 October 2026 is dominated by the debate over the Bybanen to Åsane, the strong demand for Norseman 2027 and scheduled closures on the east-west axis. Vestland county is also seeing public health questions return, while Brann picked up three points and a case of alleged fraud against NATO led to four remand placements (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

Bergen / Vestland news update: the Bybanen to Åsane in question

The debate over the Bybanen line to Åsane remains heated in Vestland county. According to Plan- og bygningsetaten, nearly two out of three passengers would rather take the bus on the section between Åsane and the city centre. The reason: the Vestland fylkeskommune plans to increase bus services, whether the line is built in a tunnel or on the surface in front of Bryggen (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

A calculation presented by Bergens Tidende estimates that the tunnel solution would more than halve the number of passengers, i.e. 32,500 fewer travellers per day. Bergen's city government and the Vestland fylkeskommune dispute this comparison. NRK showed on Monday that the tunnel solution would mean "only" 2,000 fewer people having walking access to the Åsane line. The situation remains confused ahead of the upcoming decisions (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

The issue involves Bergen's bystyret and Vestland county. It affects daily transport, planning around Bryggen and the organisation of bus services. Councillors will have to decide against a backdrop of disputed figures and strong expectations in the northern part of Bergen (NRK Bergen / Vestland; Bergens Tidende).

Norseman 2027: 16,033 candidates for 335 spots

The Norseman race is attracting a record number of candidates for 2027. No fewer than 16,033 people from 110 countries entered the lottery for a starting spot, more than double the figure a year earlier (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

The event has 335 triathlon spots, but most candidates are in practice competing for only 125 of them. A large share of the bibs is reserved for people who have accumulated X-points in other triathlons (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

Jonny Andersen, chair of Kondis and a former participant in 2013 at Eidfjord, is astonished by the enthusiasm: "Kva er gale med folk?" He describes Norseman as having become "very mythical". The course links the Hardangerfjorden to Gaustatoppen, with 3.8 km of swimming, 180 km of cycling and 42.2 km of running (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

Hemsedalsfjellet: up to 13.5 hours of closure per day

Drivers crossing Vestland heading east should expect detours or adjusted schedules. From Wednesday 21 October to 17 December, Hemsedalsfjellet will be partially closed six days a week, with up to 13.5 hours of closure per day (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

Statens vegvesen explains that two bottlenecks on riksveg 52 need to be secured. Steep rock faces will be blasted, which requires closing the road during the detonations and the cleanup. "We encourage everyone who needs to drive east-west to plan the trip before getting in the car," says Pål-Steinar Karlsen of Statens vegvesen (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

The night-time closure of the Lærdalstunnelen is set to add to these constraints, which will make east-west journeys more difficult. Statens vegvesen regrets the inconvenience for road users (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

Health of Vestlendinger: greater financial pressure

A new report from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) indicates that people in western Norway sleep less well, experience more psychological pressure and feel greater strain on their personal finances than four years ago (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

In Bergen, student Leonora Jacobsen notes the rise in rents and food prices. She explains that prices and rents are going up and that her budget does not hold up each month, while considering that her overall situation is good despite exam stress (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

The FHI report comes out against a backdrop of rising rents and food prices. It paints a picture of a population more exposed to everyday difficulties, without this translating into a general deterioration for all Vestland residents (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

Brann and alleged fraud against NATO

On the pitch, Brann avoided a fiasco against Lincoln Red Imps at Brann Stadion. Niklas Castro scored a brace and allowed the club to take three points, despite the sending-off of Neraysho Kasanwirjo after two yellow cards before the half-hour mark (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

Viaplay pundit Nils Johan Semb called Kasanwirjo's action "idiotisk". Brann, reduced to ten men, went in at half-time level before Castro changed the game (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

In Bergen, the case of alleged fraud against NATO saw a judicial follow-up. Økokrim arrested five men on Wednesday in the Bergen area, for losses of at least one million euros, i.e. more than ten million kroner (NOK), on services billed to military vessels in Norwegian ports between 2021 and 2025 (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

On Friday, four of them were placed in remand custody, following an Økokrim request for two weeks with a ban on visits and correspondence and partial isolation. The fifth was released but remains formally charged. The five men work for or are linked to the same company (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

📌 Local briefs

In Skuteviken, an apartment hotel project has been announced (Bergens Tidende, 16 October). In Balestrand, a criticised glass dome, installed in the centre of the village for several years, is to be moved to the other side of the fjord (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

Bergens Tidende reports a red-green agreement on a dental care reform, to which Høyre is reacting strongly (16 October). The same paper reports that a 40-year-old cancer patient has been waiting six weeks for a radiology response (16 October).

Sources: NRK Bergen / Vestland, Bergens Tidende, The Local Norway — Period: 16 October 2026 and 17 October 2026