Traffic is rolling very slowly on the E4 by Solbacken.
Often there is a traffic jam on the E4 by Solbacken’s shopping area. This causes great problems in getting both in and out of the area. Drivers going through Skellefteå are also affected by the extensive disruptions in traffic.
When Norran goes to the area on Monday afternoon the traffic is rolling slowly. There are queues going both south and north.
The journey up to Solbacken takes four minutes longer than the ten minutes that are estimated from Norran’s offices on Kanalgatan. Getting back to the office again takes all of 20 minutes. At Solbacken Norran meets several unhappy drivers and visitors, among them Eva Fahlgren.
– Preferably you don’t want to come and park here because you almost can't make it out again, she says.
Another displeased visitor is Kenneth Backlin.
– It takes forever to get here, he says.
Many people have opinions about the situation on the E4 and there are several different aspects that make the traffic situation more difficult. One reader phones Norran to talk about their dissatisfaction.
– The traffic gets worse when people drive over the solid line from the approach road up to the motorway, the reader says.
It is unclear how the problem can be solved. Suggestions such as more roundabouts and double lanes come up among people Norran speaks to. The Swedish Transport Administration, which is responsible for the E4, is aware of the situation.
– We know that the situation is not optimal. The problem has been identified and we hope to rectify it with the bypass that is planned, says Peter Jonsson, press officer at the Transport Administration.
The construction of the bypass that is to run around Skellefteå is planned to start in 2029. Up until then the traffic situation will remain as it is as long as it does not become untenable, the Transport Administration says. When exactly traffic can be classified as untenable Peter Jonsson cannot say and as we are in the main holiday period there is a lack of people available to answer that question.
On the way out of the shopping area the traffic is also congested.
While the Transport Administration is responsible for the E4, the municipality is responsible for the roads down at Solbacken that are also congested. Jan Burlin, head of operations for roads in Skellefteå municipality does however offer the following comment to Norran.
“The traffic situation that arises is due to what happens on the Transport Administration's roads. I have no further comments at the moment.”
Before the bypass is completed, which will be some years yet, the traffic situation at Solbacken is expected to be the same every summer.