The plans received support from the Norwegian Ski Federation, but the municipality and state were not interested in issuing grants and the proposal was finally laid to rest in 2006.
The road from Lillevann Station on the Holmenkollen Line was upgraded and a tunnel laid under the course to allow spectators to gather on both sides.
[7] A 200-seat press stand, including work stations and telephone booths, was constructed on the south side of the bottom of the hill.
[11] From the 1970s, Association for the Promotion of Skiing worked with plans to renovate the hill, especially to fill in the lower section close to Lillevann.
The upgrade would have given sufficient standard to allow FIS Alpine Ski World Cup events in slalom to be held and was part of a municipal strategy to market Oslo as a winter sports destination.
[16] Det Norske Veritas withdrew Rødkleiva's approval in October 1988, especially noting the poor condition of the ski lift.
[17] In 1989 the municipality proposed building a replacement for Midtstubakken at Rødkleiva, which would serve as Oslo's new normal hill as a supplement to the large Holmenkollbakken.
[22] In March 1998, former president of the Norwegian Ski Federation Christian Mohn announced plans for a hill in Rødkleiva which would allow jumps to 230 meters (750 ft).
The location was, in addition to the close proximity to Oslo, chosen because the venue would be built tightly to the ground, thus eliminating any wind issues, the main reason for ski jumping events to be canceled.
[23] By December 1998, Mohn's successor Jan Jensen was supporting granting Vikersundbakken national venue status in preparation for it hosting the FIS Ski-Flying World Championships 2000.
[26] After the 2000 World Championships, Vikersundbakken's Torstein Haugerud protested that Bertil Pålsrud, who was both managing director of Rødkleiva Skiflyging and a member of the Norwegian Ski Federation's ski jumping committee, was using his position in the federation to promote the Rødkleiva project.
[27] In February 2003, the Norwegian Ski Federation published an eighty-page report which concluded that Vikersundbakken should be retired and replaced with Rødkleiva.
Rødkleiva was regarded as more favorable because of the ease of transport, high population concentration, and that an all-new hill would allow for better television pictures.
Seeberg stated that Norway would therefore focus on making Granåsen the regular venue for the World Cup opening.
[30] In November 2004, a Norwegian Ski Federation committee concluded that a new hill in Rødkleiva should be prioritized and that is would cost between NOK 300 and 400 million.
[31] The following month Minister of Culture Valgerd Svarstad Haugland (Christian Democratic Party) criticized the federation for allowing Bertil Pålsrud and Steinar Johannesen to hold key roles in the decision process, while both owned a 13.3-percent stake in Rødkleiva Skiflyging.
[35] On 20 April 2005, the Norwegian Ski Federation's board supported, with 13 against 1 vote, to build both a normal and a large hill at Rødkleiva and to close Vikersundbakken.
[36] However, the following day Svarstad Haugland stated that the government supported keeping Vikersundbakken rather than building a new venue in Rødkleiva.
[40] The decision was made despite that no political parties in Oslo supported constructing a ski flying hill and that neither the municipality nor the state were willing to issue grants.