Enormous amounts of snow have caused huge problems in a number of places in the country on Tuesday. In Southern Norway, especially in Arendal and Kristiansand, the municipalities have to cut back on a number of services.
Arendal municipality has decided to close municipal schools on Wednesday. However, the municipal kindergartens will remain open.
Risør municipality has also decided to close both schools and kindergartens on Wednesday. This is stated by mayor Kai Strat The newspaper Agder.
– We will make a new assessment tomorrow, says Beate Aas, municipal manager for schools and kindergartens in Risør municipality NRK.
After-school and private kindergartens will be open to children of parents who have socially critical jobs, he says.
The Norwegian Meteorological Institute has extended the orange snow warning until Thursday. Between 20 and 40 centimeters of snow can be expected in 24 hours in Agder.
It is indefensible. We cannot keep pedestrian and cycle paths open, says Arendal mayor Robert Cornels Nordli (Ap) at a press conference.
– We have managed the most important thing, and that is that life and health have not been affected, says Nordli to Dagbladet, Tuesday morning.
SNOW CHAOS: Arendal has been hit very hard by the snow chaos on Tuesday. Photo: Tor Erik Schrøder / NTB
Sea view
He pays tribute to the efforts of several people in the violent snow.
– It is thanks to the formidable efforts of home nursing and not least of the plowing companies. I am very impressed by the work that has been done, Nordli says over the phone, rushing to the town hall where a crisis management meeting is to be held.
At the press conference on Tuesday afternoon, he thanks the residents and the employees of the municipality. He also makes a clear call:
– We have received a call from plowing crews not to walk in the streets where they are plowing. There have been situations of near misses with people who did not have reflex after dark, he says.
He reports that there will be a backlog of plowing throughout Tuesday, and also Wednesday.
Arendal municipality has extended the opening hours of the switchboard until 19:00. At the same time, the mayor asks everyone who is in need to contact the emergency numbers instead.
Causing trouble
In both Arendal and Kristiansand, the snowy weather is creating trouble for home services and services for the elderly. Kristiansand municipality has suspended all transport to day care centres.
– We know that the offer is important to many, and deeply regret this, says department manager Randi L. Christensen in Kristiansand in a press release on the municipality’s website.
In Arendal, where the municipality has set up crisis staff to deal with the chaos, extra resources have been called in to help the home service get around.
There are delays in the home service in both Arendal and Kristiansand.
Municipal preschool in Arendal is closed on Tuesday, the municipality reports on its website.
At the same time, free parking in municipal car parks has been opened in both of the aforementioned municipalities to free up space for the plow trucks to work.
It is not only municipal functions that are affected. TV 2 reports that the food delivery service Foodora has closed for delivery in Agder. They are also considering closing down areas in Oslo and Telemark.
Closed
E18 has been closed for parts of Tuesday between Gaupemyrkrysset in Lillesand and Morholtkrysset in Grimstad. Several wagon trains have been stuck in an exit and entry ramp on the section, which has led to periodic closures.
The police report that there are problems with access and exit ramps at the site. Operations manager Eivind Formoe asks people to carefully consider how necessary it is to drive today.
– You have to consider carefully whether you want to risk putting yourself in a situation where you need rescue. There is a long wait for a tow truck, and demanding driving conditions, he says.
For a short period the road was open, but at 12.33 a new train got stuck in the same place. At 12.52 this is also saved.
A short time later, the Agder police were able to report a car that had become stuck further east on the motorway, at exit 81 in Grimstad.
– Slow moving queue. The police are on the scene and are trying to pull it up with a tow rope, the police report.
The police are also clearly targeting motorists on the E18 and E39 in southern Norway who stop in tunnels to remove ice and snow from their windscreen wipers.
– This has created dangerous situations. Drive off the main road for this, the police urge.
– Calculate good time
Routes warn in a press release that the snow may have consequences for public transport in Oslo and Akershus.
Snow chaos: Have been shoveling for nine hours
The snow affects public transport in Eastern Norway. Ruter has canceled and changed a number of departures in Oslo and Akershus on Tuesday.
– It is simply the aftermath of yesterday. Our request to customers is to plan plenty of time and to keep up-to-date through the travel planner, says press officer Gro Janborg in Ruter to NTB.
The following departures are affected:
- Lines 62, 64 and 65 are not run.
- Lines 100 and 110 have a detour due to poor ploughing.
- Lines 24 and 70 run with a reduced offer.
- There is a bus for trams on line 11 from Kjelsås.
CLOSED: National Highway 7 over Hardangervidda is closed to cars as a result of the weather chaos. Photo: Norwegian Public Roads Administration’s webcam Show more
It is poor plowing and a lack of buses that lead to the problems in public transport.
A LOT OF SNOW: There has been a lot of snow. Here a tractor plowing at St. Hanshaugen in Oslo. Photo: Fredrik Varfjell / NTB Show more
Closed E6
E6 towards Oslo was closed at Korsegården in Ås until 08.40 on Tuesday morning after a traffic accident. A truck loaded with Plumbo was challenging to salvage before the morning rush hour hit.
The closure created major traffic challenges.
At the same time, the aftermath of the blizzard still creates demanding driving conditions in several places. The Norwegian Road Traffic Agency asks people to drive carefully.
Bane Nor states that the Vestfold Railway must still be closed between Tønsberg and Holmestrand on Tuesday morning as a result of the snowy weather.
She says that there have been few messages sent to the Vegtrafikksentralen last night. It has not snowed in the Oslo area. But all the snow that has come lately can cause problems.
– Now we can see the asphalt, and it’s a joy. But we’re working hard, because it won’t be finished in a flash when we have to clean up after a full day of snowstorms, says Serup.
It was a white and cold affair when NRK Troms’ reporter Pål Hansen had to report from the snowy weather in Kåfjord on 30 March. Video: NRK Show more
She says that people must drive according to the conditions when they go to work.
– Keep a good distance, drive carefully and do not take demanding overtakes. It is better to come to work a little later than not to come to work at all, she says.
2024-01-02 11:51:50
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