There are only five houses and nine residents all year round in the small village of Käl in Kramfors municipality in Västernorrland. But more than 40,000 cars cross the villagers’ plots during the summer, just a few meters from their house, which SVT was the first to report.
The narrow gravel road is the entrance road to the popular Skuleskogen National Park. The traffic is four times larger than planned – and increases every year.
Marie and Mikael Berglund have had enough of the traffic on the site – 40,000 cars a year.
Photo: PRIVATE
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From the couple Berglund’s patio, the cars are seen passing.
Photo: PRIVATE
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Requires new road
– It is frustrating and very disturbing. It’s like living on a construction site, the noise is heard in the house all day, says Mari Berglund.
Her husband, Mikael Berglund, is chairman of the village road association, which demands that the authorities build a new connection road. He explains that the road was built in the 1930s and is not intended for so much traffic.
– We know that you want a lot of tourists and do not mind it. 40,000 cars drove over our yard last year. The authorities must take responsibility and create a sustainable infrastructure, says Mikael Berglund.
1.5 meters to the road
He explains that their residential house is located on one side of the road, the guest house and the barbecue area on the other. It is only ten meters between road and house – and with a neighbor the distance is only 1.5 meters.
The authorities have for several years discussed drawing a new road outside the village. But nothing has happened and the villagers are getting tired.
– I understand the frustration and we have had a completely exceptional increase in the number of visitors … After the summer we will raise the issue again … then it is about making a decision on how to proceed, says Torbjörn Engberg, unit manager at the unit for protected nature at the County Administrative Board in Västernorrland, to SVT.
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