The border-crossing point is located at Storskog near the Norwegian bordertown of Kirkenes. Before perestroika very few people crossed the only direct border in northern Europe between NATO and the USSR. Then, in 1990, some 8,000 people crossed the border into what then happened to be the second last year of the Soviet Union. In 2008, more than 104,000 people crossed the Norwegian-Russian border. In the years to come, even more people are expected to cross the border.
Russian station financed by Norway
In 2003, the new Borisoglebsk border station was opened on the Russian side of the border in order to meet the increased number of travelers. The new Russian border station was financed by Norway and built by Norwegian constructors. The opening ceremony was simultaneously as the 10-year anniversary of the Barents Cooperation.
The Norwegian border station has been extended and rebuilt several times, but it was first earlier this year that the Ministry of Justice and the Police established a working group with the mandate to present proposals to build a new border station. The project was headed by the Chief of Police in Eastern Finnmark, Håkon Skulstad, while much of the assessments were done by Statsbygg, the Norwegian government’s property manager and advisor in construction and property affairs.
Three options
The working group has looked into several options, but clearly advises to build a brand new facility some 220 meters from the actual border. According to the report, this will allow space for more lanes for in- and outgoing cars-, busses and trucks. The new facilities are estimated to cost some 150 to 230 million Norwegian kroner (Euro 18 to 27 millions).
Visa-free border crossings
In June last year, both the Russian and Norwegian Foreign Ministers visited the stations on both side of the border. Sergey Lavrov and Jonas Gahr Støre also discussed and initiated the work to open the border for visa-free travel for the population living within a distance of 50 kilometers from the border. That includes the two Russian towns of Nikel and Zapolyarny and the Norwegian town of Kirkenes. The police estimate an increase in border crossings by 50 percent when the visa-free travel will be a reality.
Local visa-free travel is included in the plans for the new border station, with a dedicated lane for commuters that doesn’t need to the same thorough passport and customs control regime as other travelers.
Existing station to be demolished
The plans require that the existing buildings have to be demolished and the road and entry to the border station area to be slightly changed. A new two floor building will include passport- and customs control in addition to offices. The customs will get a new larger hall where vans and trucks can be unloaded in-door. Also, it will be space for a transportable scanner for x-ray of cargo trucks. A 974 m2 roof will be built over the control area.
Outdoor area for the border station will close to 13,000 m2 and the buildings will togheter be more than 3,500 m2.
Four lanes in - three lanes out
Upon entry into Norway, four lanes over a much longer distance than today will allow more vehicles to line up in the control area. Three lanes will be made on the exit side of the building.
The 67 page report with the plans for the new border station was revealed to BarentsObserver this week by the Ministry of Justice and the Police.
Three options for the border crossing point are presented in the report; keep it more or less as it is, rebuild the existing station or build a brand new station. The report elaborate many good reasons for not to go for option one and two. The third option, to build a brand new and modern station, is concluded to be the only variant that fully will meet the control- and safety requirements in addition to meet the expected increase in traffic and serve the different cargo transport needs to come.
