It came as a shock to both the developers of Nye vegar and Lillehammer municipality when the Norwegian Environment Agency did not want to grant a dispensation to get a new bridge over Gudbrandsdalslågen, further north than where the existing one is located. For Nye vegar were ready to put the shovel in the ground for the new E6 all the way from Mjøsbrua to Øyer. The passage past Lillehammer was a nut. They had already spent more than NOK 1 billion on planning the road, if only the government could change the decision from the Norwegian Environment Agency. Either by changing the conservation regulations for the Lågendeltaet nature reserve or by finding other solutions for the road. The entire Lågen delta is protected because it is an important area for birds. This means that the existing road is also in the conservation area. A new road past Lillehammer must in any case touch the conservation area. This is what the Minister for Climate and the Environment will now look at more thoroughly. Can change the safety regulations Today he and transport minister Jon-Ivar Nygård met mayors Ingunn Trosholmen (Ap) in Lillehammer and parliamentary representative Rune Støstad (Ap) – It was a very good meeting, and we came away from it confident that a solution can be found within the proposal that is now on the table, says Bart-Eide to news. He specifies that there is not yet a solution on the table. From now on, the Ministry of Climate and Environment and Transport will take over the work on the matter. – There is no reason why we should spend a long time now. But we have to wait a few weeks, says Barth-Eide. – Should be out of the question SV has always opposed the road plans, they believe that minor motorway development is part of the budget agreement from last year. Lars Haltbrekken is climate policy spokesperson in SV. He says it was important to stop the plans for a motorway here. The Norwegian Environment Agency made this decision the day after the big climate summit in Montreal in Canada – Then the government’s first response cannot be to weaken the protection of nature in Norway, he says. He says one should have an attitude to take care of nature and that it should be out of the question to weaken the conservation regulations. Ole Midthun in the Nature Conservancy has also been strongly against the construction of a motorway in the nature reserve. He believes that protecting nature should be more important than the E6 development. – One of the most important reasons why we have said no to a new route is that it will fragment the conservation area to an even greater extent, and lead to the use of yet another bridge, in addition to all the other interventions in the Lågen delta – Very happy Mayor of Lillehammer, Ingunn Trosholmen, says she is very happy that the ministers welcomed her and Støstad and that they listened to what they said: That it is possible to build a new road and at the same time take care of the natural interests. – I am terribly relieved today, says Trosholmen. – Now we have made the government see that there are ways to build the road that take care of nature and traffic. Dilemma ahead Espen Bart-Eide says that they will of course now engage in dialogue with all parties who have been involved in the case, both SV and the Nature Conservation Association. He tells news that the E6 past Lillehammer takes up a dilemma that one will face many times in the future. – It is important to me that nature as a whole comes out better. We need to look at our overall natural footprint. This may be about compensation measures or measures linked to the old road and the new road. According to Barth-Eide, there may be talk of a narrower road, lower speed limits and environmental measures along the existing road, which will now become a local road. – It doesn’t have to be a 4-lane road with a speed limit of 110 either. As an example, from before an area further north in Gudbrandsdalslågen was protected as a replacement area for lost nature in the Lågen delta.
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Espen Barth-Eide will find a solution for the E6 past Lillehammer and change the protection of Lågendelta – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
