Storms cause major problems in traffic on Thursday afternoon. The Christmas departure should be postponed until Friday, the meteorologists recommend.
One lane was closed on the E6 towards Follotunellen after a car spun around on the smooth. Photo: Nyhetstips.no
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Published: 21.12.2023 09:44 | Updated: 21/12/2023 18:59
The case is updated.
Canceled flights, traffic accidents and ferries that are not allowed to dock. A lot of snow and strong winds are causing major problems in traffic in southern Norway on Thursday.
There have been a number of traffic accidents on several motorways, and there are long queues on the Christmas exit.
On Thursday evening, a number of flights have also been cancelled, both from Oslo Airport and from Stavanger.
11 canceled departures
At 17.10 on Thursday, at least 11 flight departures from Gardermoen were cancelled. This applies to both flights to Stavanger and several European cities, such as Copenhagen and Düsseldorf.
Several flights are delayed, and passengers report long queues, including at the SAS counter.
Avinor’s website was unstable on Thursday afternoon, but communications manager Cathrine Framholt denies chaos and long queues at the airport.
– To have snowed all day, and we have had to plow and de-ice planes, I think things have gone well. There is a nice flow in the traffic, she says.
Framholt says there have been no reports of worse weather later in the evening, but emphasizes that it is the airlines that update their customers on canceled departures.
Ferries were docked
Two ferries with passengers on the connection across the Boknafjord were not allowed to dock due to the violent wind, wrote Stavanger Aftenblad.
Around 17:30, however, it became clear that the two ferries were docked. By then they had been lying in the fjord after about an hour and a half after about an hour and a half.
Hurricane in Western Norway – bridge closed
A hurricane is expected along the coast in Rogaland, with wind gusts of 33–45 m/s.
According to the Meteorologists, “Pia” will give us gusts of wind in Western Norway, snow in the mountains, high water levels and snow in the east and west.
The bridge between Haugesund and Karmøy in Rogaland was closed on Thursday afternoon due to strong winds.
Operator Jørgen Bødtker at the Road Traffic Center (VTS) tells Haugesund’s newspaper that a motorist called them and warned that it was getting dangerous on the bridge. The police then closed it down.
Roof is torn off
Bødtker is unsure how long the bridge will be closed, but it will be a while.
– A little depending on the weather forecast, I’m guessing the bridge will be closed all night. It depends a bit on whether the weather will be as bad as reported, says Bødtker.
Several roofs on buildings in the south-west have also been taken off by the strong winds. At Sola, a window on a residential building was blown in, reports the 110 centre.
Madlamark school in Stavanger has also experienced the forces of nature. Just before the students were going home for the day, parts of the roof of the school’s sports hall blew off, writes Stavanger Aftenblad.
Chain collision at Lillehammer
But it is not only Western Norway that is affected.
At 14.53 the police reported a chain collision on the E6 near Lillehammer. Three cars and six people were involved in the accident, but no one was injured.
Both the meteorologists, the police and car salvagers recommend staying off the roads if you can.
– Drive according to the conditions, and if you don’t absolutely have to go out, leave the car, says Fredrik Jørgensen, general manager of Viking Oslo.
– Friday and Saturday look like two good departure days, write the Meteorologists.
There is snow cover on parts of the main road network around Oslo. Here from E6 at Furuset. Photo: Norwegian Road Administration
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The roof of a ski box blew off a car on the bridge between Haugesund and Karmøy on Thursday afternoon. Photo: Jan Kåre Ness / NTB
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Parts of the roof of this barn in Tananger in Sola blew off on Thursday afternoon. They hit houses 50–200 meters away. Photo: Rogaland fire and rescue IKS
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More traffic accidents
In the morning hours, many traffic accidents were reported in southern Norway. There is a lot of snow in several places, and the Swedish Road Traffic Agency is asking people to be careful in traffic.
This car ended up on the roof of the E18 at Holmestrand. The police report the driver because it turned out that the car had one summer tyre. Photo: The fire service in Vestfold
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A concrete block has been crushed after a lorry ended up across the Hemtunnel on the E18 in Tønsberg on Thursday morning.
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Today, the following accidents have been particularly worked on:
- Several cars are involved in a collision on E6 at Frogner in Lillestrøm in southbound lanes. No injuries have been reported. The police recommend taking alternative routes south, but one lane must be open. All the cars have been recovered from the scene at 1.40 p.m., but plow trucks have struggled to get through.
- The home tunnel on the E18 will be closed for several days in the future due to chain collision damage. 10–15 cars were involved in the collision that occurred after a train of trucks hit the wall in Hemtunnelen. Five people have been reported injured. Traffic in both directions will drive through the southbound tunnel, the police report.
- In the Bergsengakrysset at the E18 in Holmestrand, a car ended up on its roof. the car had one summer tire.
- Rev. 7 is closed at Gol while a tow truck helps a train out of a ditch.
- A car has spun E6 just before the Follotunnel in the southbound field. At 11.02, the Vegtrafikksentralen East reports that the road is open to normal traffic.
- The exit from The Porsgrunn tunnel towards Nykirken is open again after a lorry across blocked the road. The police warn of a lot of snow on the road.
- The emergency services were in Romsåsveien by Grorud centre following a report of a traffic accident between two passenger cars. At 10.14 the police report that the road is open. No serious injuries have been reported.
- County road 49 at Kvam is closed after the race. It is the main road between Norheimsund and Bergen.
A column of cars drives behind a plow on the E18 in Porsgrunn. Photo: Swedish Road Administration
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Motorcade over the mountain cancelled
The mountain passes are also affected by the stormy weather. On Thursday, there was a convoy on Rv. 7 above Hardangervidda and Rv. 13 above Vikafjellet. These are now open to free traffic.
2023-12-21 18:41:57
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