Several roads are often closed until well into the spring due to the risk of avalanches. But now the closing time can be shortened with the help of drones. “Decisions that were largely based on qualified guesswork before are now increasingly based on facts,” says project manager and avalanche expert adviser at the Norwegian Public Roads Administration Tore Humstad. What is this project? The Norwegian Public Roads Administration, in collaboration with the research institutes SINTEF and the Geotechnical Institute of Norway, with support from the Research Council of Norway, has started the research project “Geosfair” (Geohazard Survey from Air). Drones with cameras, radars and laser scanners will collect data in hard-to-reach and avalanche-prone terrain. The aim is to create better safety along landslide-prone roads, and that the roads can be as open as possible, as long as it is safe enough. Source: Norwegian Road Administration Uses drone On Julsundet in Romsdal, drone pilot and geologist in the Norwegian Road Administration, Halgeir Dahle, sends a drone into the air. Tools such as camera, radar and laser scanner can be placed on the drone. It is these elements that will help the Norwegian Road Administration make safer decisions for roads prone to landslides. – If we take photos in a systematic way, we can create terrain models. If we attach a small laser scanner to the drone, we can get good information about both the terrain and the snow surface. Other sensors we are trying out are a heat-seeking camera and radar to map stability, says Humstad. On the screen, they can follow the terrain the drone flies over. Photo: Mari Aandahl Kippernes / news Roads can be opened earlier With the information collected, the Norwegian Road Administration can open and close roads depending on how great the risk of landslides is. – We must close when necessary, but not more than necessary, explains the project manager. He singles out the popular tourist road Trollstigen and the roads to and from Geiranger in Stranda municipality as examples of roads where this technology can be useful. – These roads are closed in winter and they have some avalanche paths that we need to control before we open for the summer. Either we have to wait until the landslides have passed, or we have to be able to document that they probably won’t reach the road. They can get this documentation from the drone. In April, there was an avalanche that caused major damage to the cafe on Trollstigenplatået and county road 63. Photo: Dag Christian Ugseth / Møre og Romsdal county municipality Will mean a lot for safety Mayor of Stranda municipality, Jan Ove Tryggestad, believes this technology will be very positive for both the local community and the regional business community. – The opening varies from early May to late June. It goes without saying that if the entire May season goes away, you lose a colossal turnover. Mayor of Stranda municipality, Jan Ove Tryggestad believes the technology will be useful for the safety and tourism of Geiranger. Photo: Tore Ellingseter / news The mayor also believes that drone technology will mean a lot to people’s perception of security. – Part of the problem in the spring and early summer is that we don’t know what it looks like up on the mountain. A drone will be a very important instrument to gain a better knowledge base before possibly opening or closing the road. Focusing on snow The project manager says that this technology can detect all types of avalanches, but that they have chosen to focus on snow in this project for several reasons. – Firstly, we want to limit ourselves a bit, and not test everything. Second, the snow is the hardest. It changes quickly, is looser and has little contrast compared to other surfaces. Project manager Tore Humstad and drone pilot Halgeir Dahle believe that the information collected by the drone will be able to help make better decisions. Photo: Roar Strøm / news Already in use The Norwegian Road Administration has already started using the technology, despite the fact that the project will not be finished until 2024. In the winter, they intend to use drones in avalanche warning on Strynefjellet. – We will see how much better we become by using this technique, concludes Humstad. Until next year, the Norwegian Road Administration will work on getting the drone to fly automatically. In this way, they will not have to be physically present while the drone is out gathering information. Photo: Mari Aandahl Kippernes / news
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The Norwegian Public Roads Administration has started a new research project where drones will map the avalanche danger – news Møre og Romsdal – Local news, TV and radio
