The Directorate of Public Roads

The Directorate of Public Roads ensures that the NPRA manages its resources and reaches the objectives set by the Norwegian National Assembly (Stortinget) and the Government.

The Directorate of Public Roads manages this task through:

• Strategic planning (as in the National Transport plan), budgeting, supervision and allocation of resources
• Final preparation of cases to be treated in the Ministry of Transport and Communications, and servicing the Ministry?s needs as they are expressed
• International activity

The Directorate of Public Roads consists of four divisions, with subordinate sections and secretariats for Information, International affairs, Internal auditing and Strategy.

The Department for Development has the overall responsibility for developing the road network.  The Department for Roads and Traffic is responsible for managing the existing road network, traffic safety and all matters related to traffic users and vehicles.  The department is also responsible for the national ferry network.  The Department for Technology is to ensure that the NPRA maintains and develops competencies within prioritized fields. 

One of the changes implemented in 2003 consists of the delegation of responsibilities to regions outside of Oslo.  In 2006 a roads and traffic competency center with 50 employees is to be set up in Trondheim .   The objective is that the center will develop a close cooperation with, among others, the local research and education communities at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and The Foundation for Scientific and Industrial Research at the Norwegian Institute of Technology (SINTEF). 

A number of other responsibilities and national services are likewise being moved into the regions.