Norran har tre gånger sökt infrastruktur- och bostadsminister Andreas Carlson (KD) för att ge honom möjlighet att bemöta det Lorents Burman säger.
– We naturally continue to work for it, but it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to manage what we must deliver as a municipality. I am afraid we will face extreme challenges with the traffic situation in the future, he says.
He is critical of the government not working to expedite the projects.
– We are growing so much in Skellefteå. We are in an unusual situation and it is not possible to work in the traditional way. It is taking too long. The timelines must be compressed – within the limits of the law, of course.
He is critical of the 18 months it has taken since the Norrbotniabanan railway plans were completed and that the government has not yet given the go-ahead for the construction.
– Sure, the plans were appealed, but it could have been resolved in three or four months. What is the government waiting for? Why don't they give the go-ahead?
He points out that there shouldn't be a problem with money since about 15 billion kronor is allocated in the budget for Norrbotniabanan.
– So where is the problem? We get no information about why it is delayed. Are they reviewing the cost estimate, and if so, what does that mean?
He is also concerned that there is no information on when Norrbotniabanan to Luleå will be completed.
– At the municipal level, you cannot work on projects without having an end date.
Skellefteå also faces concerns regarding the E4 bypass. A 2012 road investigation proposed routing the E4 via Östra leden, but this plan is now under review by Trafikverket (the Swedish Transport Administration).
– In 2022, 1.4 billion kronor was allocated for the Östra leden route, he says.
– However, they're now considering alternative routes.
This new proposal suggests routing the E4 via Gunsen between Bergsbyn and Ursviken, with an on-ramp between southern Innervik and Boviken. However, this option comes with a significant cost increase of four billion kronor and delays the project.
– There's a valid concern about securing future funding. Therefore, to ensure progress, Trafikverket must conclude by the end of 2024 that Östra leden remains the most viable option.
Östra Leden, där nya E 4 skulle kunna dras.
– He says that Trafikverket has announced that construction for the project will start in 2029 at the earliest.
– It could start at least two years earlier. I have told Trafikverket that they need to compress the timeline and work on different parts of the decision-making process in parallel.
He explains that the municipality has had countless meetings with Trafikverket and the government about this. Just over a week ago, he had a Teams meeting with the minister of infrastructure and housing, Andreas Carlson.
– It is easy to point fingers at Trafikverket, but the government is their principal and must push them. The government should want to be proactive. If the E4 is completed in 2032, as they have announced, it will be four years too late.
Burman believes that the E4 and Norrbotniabanan must be completed in Skellefteå by 2030.
He points out that Carlson is the only one he has managed to contact in the government, and that he listens and understands the situation.
– But he doesn't decide on his own. It is Elisabeth Svantesson, the minister of finance, who controls the money. Apart from Andreas Carlson, we have no dialogue with the government. It is a very strange situation. The municipality cannot handle such immense growth on its own.
He is also concerned that the green transition "could bypass Sweden." He thinks the government needs to attract more green establishments such as Northvolt.
– In Germany, Olaf Scholz is courting battery companies to get them to establish there. The conditions are more challenging in Sweden. This should be a high-priority issue.
– We also want them to take us seriously in Skellefteå, says Lorents Burman.
Norran has sought Andreas Carlson on three occasions requesting an interview about this without receiving any response at all.
Here are the questions we would like to ask:
Why has no start date been given for the Norrbotniabanan construction?
Are you reviewing the cost estimate for the railway construction?
Why is there no completion date for the railway to Luleå?
Why can't the government expedite the construction of the E4 bypass – it risks becoming an unsustainable traffic situation within a few years?
What is your view on the infrastructure situation in Skellefteå?
Lorents Burman is worried that Sweden is losing investments in the green transition because the government is not actively working to attract more and to assist municipalities where investments are being made. What is your comment on that?
How important is the issue of attracting green investments to you?