Essingeleden, Controlled-access motorway in western Stockholm, Sweden

Essingeleden is an eight-kilometre motorway from Pampas in Solna to Nyboda in Västberga, crossing Kungsholmen, Lilla Essingen and Stora Essingen. Its three bridges are Fredhällsbron (270 m), Essingebron (470 m) and Gröndalsbron (460 m), and it passes through the 210-metre Fredhällstunneln. It has three lanes in each direction, designed for 80 km/h.

The motorway opened in August 1966 with temporary lanes and expanded after Sweden switched to right-hand traffic in 1967. It became one of the country's first high-capacity routes serving modern transport needs.

The name Essingeleden, adopted in 1961, comes from the two islands it crosses, Stora and Lilla Essingen. The road is part of the E4 and E20 routes and carries about 150,000 vehicles a day, rising to 170,000 in August 2007 when it was the only road through central Stockholm exempt from the congestion tax. Since 1 January 2016 the tax applies here too.

Heavy traffic occurs during peak hours, so traveling outside rush times offers a smoother journey. Check current traffic conditions before planning your trip through this busy corridor.

A parallel route called Förbifart Stockholm began construction in 2014 to reduce pressure on this motorway through extensive tunnel networks. This major project was designed to divert through-traffic away from the original corridor.