– We cannot accept the new model, says county mayor Jon Askeland (Sp) in Vestland. When the county mayor travels around on narrow western country roads, rockfalls from steep mountain sides lie in wait all the time. If one is hit, it often has fatal consequences. But in the National Roads Administration’s proposed model for the national avalanche safety work, broad avalanches are to be prioritized. Narrow rock slides, of which there are most in Vestland, are pushed down. Among other things, the very vulnerable Heilevang between Førde and Askvoll moves down 1,269 places on the priority list with the new model. 2,200 county roads are on the national list. Landslide frequency becomes less important The new model for rough sorting of landslide points along the national and county roads was sent to the county councils for consultation in September. Today’s model is based on these six sub-factors: Landslide risk Traffic volume Detour time How often the road is closed for avalanches Number of days closed per year Risk of neighboring landslides The model distinguishes between high, medium and low avalanche factors. The new model proposed by the Swedish Road Administration is instead based on these four sub-factors: Landslide probability Landslide width Traffic volume Rerouting Source: Vestland county municipality In Vestland, seven out of ten landslide points come out worse in the new model. LOW PRIORITIZED: County road 609 between Førde and Askvoll near Heilevang is often closed because there has been a landslide. The stretch has been pushed 1,269 places down the list in the new model of dangerous descent points in Norway. Photo: Skule Jacobsen / Vestland county council – Great psychological pressure The county politicians in Vestland recently decided to “protest strongly”. It is shown, among other things, that there is a “great psychological pressure” to travel on dangerous roads, and that this fear is “regardless of the width of the landslide or how heavy the traffic is”. Rogaland and Møre og Romsdal, which have many small rock slides, also object to the new model. From the Swedish Road Administration’s side, it is shown that there is a greater risk that wide landslides will hit vehicles, and that the wide landslides lead to longer closures. It is also pointed out that the new model will provide a better basis for comparison of different landslide problems across areas and landslide types. RASFARE: County mayor Jon Askeland and the mayor of Vik, Roy Egil Stadheim, inspect the county road between Vik and Arnafjorden in Sogn. Several landslide points on the stretch of road are prioritized downwards in the new model. Photo: Sondre Dalaker / news Positive results in Northern Norway The revision of the landslide factor model is being carried out as part of the work on the National Transport Plan for the period 2025 to 2036. The new model will become an important supplier of premises for permits for road sections with a risk of landslides during the time period. While the county councils in Western Norway protest strongly, the new model will work better in Nordland and Troms and Finnmark, where large and wide avalanches occur more often. Among other things, Nordland County Council has decided that the new model “must be used as a basis for the distribution of avalanche funds”. – We support the new model primarily because avalanche probability and factors that affect the avalanche danger are given greater weight. The new model is more balanced between the avalanche types, says Monika Sande, county councilor for transport and infrastructure in Nordland. According to Sande, the biggest problem with the current model is that landslide points quickly pay off big on detours, even if the detour is only one to two hours. The new model also favors national roads over county roads. BIG: Several large avalanches block county road 87 in Tamokdalen in Troms. In the new slide safety model, it is proposed that sections with wide avalanches of this type must improve slide safety as soon as possible. Photo: Aadne Olsrud Asking for the work to start again Jenny Følling, who is the leader of the National Race Protection Group, is not impressed by the proposal. – It is serious and incomprehensible when the most dangerous stretches in Vestland have ended up far down the list in the new model, she says. She believes that the work on the new model has turned out so badly that it should be started again. – Among other things, the county councils have been far too little involved in the work, she says. STATEMENT: Jenny Følling is the leader of the national race protection group. She is asking for NOK 4 billion more per year for race insurance in Norway. Photo: Aleksander Åsnes / news It will take 120 years to secure vegans An even bigger problem, according to Følling, is that the state allows far too little money for breed security. – NOK 90 billion is needed to secure the most dangerous crash points on the county and national road network, she says. With today’s permits, the work will take 120 years. The breed protection group requests that the annual licensing be increased from NOK 2 to 6 billion. – Without more funds for race safety, we will be able to experience more fatal accidents in the years to come, she says. Følling points out that huge sums are being set aside for road projects in central areas, and believes that a larger part of the cake should go to road safety in the districts. In the autumn of 2013, parts of the mountain side fell into Tokagjelet on county road 7. In the new avalanche model, the road section falls 179 places down the priority list. Photo: Halvor Folgerø / news Most landslides in the west and north It is mainly in Western Norway and in northern Norway that there is the greatest risk of being hit by landslides. Vestland county alone has 32 percent of all registered landslide points, and over half of all landslides hit roads in Vestland. Troms and Finnmark come in second place with 23 per cent of registered landslide points. Nordland county comes in third place. Nordland and Troms and Finnmark have the widest range. Uncertain when new model will be ready It is uncertain when a new landslide factor model will be introduced. Chief engineer Heidi Bjordal in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration writes in an e-mail that “we first have to create a model that is widely agreed upon”. The Swedish Road Administration will not adopt a model “there is so much dissatisfaction with as it is now”.
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New landslide factor model turns avalanche safety upside down – news Vestland
