The case in summary • Trollstigen, a popular tourist route, was closed earlier this year due to the risk of landslides. • Before the closure, six rockfalls were recorded on the road. • The closure of the road has had major consequences for local businesses, with many employees being made redundant. • It has been estimated that NOK 50 million will be needed to make the road safe. • The government has allocated NOK 40 million for landslide protection of Trollstigen, and the county council is expected to contribute the remaining NOK 10 million. • Even with the funding in place, it cannot be guaranteed that Trollstigen will be open for the next season. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. The national tourist road Trollstigen attracts tourists from all over the world to Møre and Romsdal. During the ten days the road was open before it was closed, six rock falls were recorded. A rock fell straight down the mountainside and entered through the window of a car. Photo: Veidekke But the shocking news came recently. The popular tourist road, which in 2019 had 1.1 million visitors, was closed for the rest of the year due to the risk of landslides. Since then, work has been done to get money for race insurance. For players in the travel industry, the closure is dramatic. The owner of the campsite and the cafe at Trollstigen must, among other things, lay off almost all employees after the tourist road was closed. Visit again with 40 million in grants On Wednesday last week, transport minister Jon-Ivar Nygård visited the foot of the iconic Trollstigen. Then there were no promises of money for breed protection. County mayor Anders Riise (H) together with transport minister Jon-Ivar Nygård (Ap) and municipal minister Erling Sande (Sp) at the foot of the Trollstigen. Photo: Roar Jonny Strøm / news On Monday, five days later, it became known that the Minister of Transport, together with Minister of Local Government Erling Sande (Sp), was going back to Trollstigen. They did not want to reveal in advance what was the background for the visit, but several politicians news spoke to expected that they would come to visit with money in their luggage. And municipal minister Erling Sande confirmed that at the foot of the landslide-prone stretch of road. He said that the government is determined to resolve the situation that has arisen. – As a Westerner, I know a little about what race danger can mean. Both for life and health, but also for the appearance and business life when you have a situation where a road is closed due to the risk of landslides. And I would like to say that part of the reason why the government wants to release money is that it has created a difficult situation for the business world and especially for the tourism industry, what has happened, said Sande. He emphasized that it is the county council that is responsible for the road, but the government is still contributing money. – The county municipality must do its part. County mayor Anders Riise thinks it is fantastic that they are now getting 40 million for race insurance. Sketches of the work that must be done in Trollstigen. Photo: Statens vegvesen / Møre og Romsdal county municipality – It is important for us that we can now get started with this race safety work. Not only is it important for the county council, but it is important for the industry in the whole of Western Norway. He says that the work on planning and securing is well under way. Excited for the rest of the season At the bakery in Valldal on the other side of the Trollstigen, there was a celebration with cake when the money announcement came. After several weeks of tension for the tourism industry, hotel managers Lise Sandøy and Hillevi Hovden at Sylteormen Bakeri hope to be able to row the season ashore. Gro Marita Stennes Valdal in Fjordhagen, Hillevi Hovdna at Sylteormen Bakeri and Lise Sandøy, hotel manager at Valldal fjord hotel. Hope the tourists will stop in Valldal on their way up or down from Trollstigen. Photo: Josef Benoni Ness Tveit / news – According to the forecasts, we are slightly below earlier this year. So it’s really exciting. The sign showing the way to Åndalsnes from Valldal is taped over. But the road up to the Trollstigen plateau is open so the tourist can look at the view. Photo: Josef Benoni Ness Tveit / news Hovden, who runs a bakery in Valldal, hopes more buses will stop after they have been on the Trollstig Plateau. It is open and tourists can still go there and enjoy the view. – I guess I may have noticed that buses have stopped, which may be on their way back from Trollstigen. But the tourists are not so predictable. I don’t think the closure is positive anyway. Because we can’t get the tourists to Valldalen with a closed Trollstigen. Can’t guarantee that the road will be opened until next year Ole Jan Tønnesen, who is county road manager in Møre og Romsdal, has previously stated to news that even if money were to arrive quickly, he does not dare to guarantee that the Trollstigen will be ready for opening by next season . County road manager in Møre and Romsdal, Ole Jan Tønnesen, together with mayor of Rauma, Yvonne Wold, at the foot of Trollstigen last week. Photo: Ann Eli Nøsen / news – We have to do the job, and see the effect, and then we have to deal with the situation after that. – This is nature. There are many uncertainties related to this, so issuing guarantees would be foolish, Tønnesen said last week. Trollstigen: Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news Aerial photo Trollstigen is a mountain pass on county road 63 between the municipalities of Rauma and Fjord in Møre and Romsdal. The road connects Valldal on Sunnmøre with Åndalsnes in Romsdal. Tourists from all over the world are lured to the Trollstigen every year with its iconic, winding hairpins. Trollstigen is one of 18 National Tourist Routes. The road is 55 kilometers long and was officially opened on 31 June 1936. It has eleven hairpin bends. The highest point is 850 meters above sea level. The Trollstigen is closed for the winter every year and usually reopens for the season during May/June. Published 01.07.2024, at 09.27 Updated 01.07.2024, at 20.50
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Minister visits Trollstigen on Monday – news Møre og Romsdal – Local news, TV and radio
