The main road between Oslo and Kristiansand is one of the country’s busiest motorways. When the queue gets long enough, many drive through the village of Langangen, which lies between Larvik and Porsgrunn. Mona Aaby doesn’t like that. Her children are no longer allowed to cycle to the football pitch and the swimming area. It does not feel safe along the road. She sees cars driving onto the pavement, and shows no consideration. Someone runs a red light. – I have refrained from going for a walk with my dog when it has been at its worst, then I have not dared to go. Do not feel safe Head of the village’s charity, Marthe Nøklegård, says that they have told the police, the county council and Nye Veier AS, which is the developer. – Nobody has listened to us. The 460 people who live here have received both a new pavement and lighting control. But that is not enough, says Nøklegård. She says the stretch is not sustainable on the worst days. The county council admits that the situation is not optimal. But they lack the money to find a better solution to the traffic chaos. Atle Storemyr/Droneinfo.no Looking at the shortcut on the GPS, the E18 has four lanes all the way from Oslo and south to Langangen. There are only two lanes on the bridge. Then it has to be braided, and there will be a queue. Long queue. RED ON THE MAP: Vegvesen.no shows how much the queue on the E18 delays the journey. Photo: Vegvesen.no / Screen dump On the Swedish Road Administration’s website it is shown in red. Not infrequently, the delays are both 30 and 60 minutes. Some people don’t have the time and patience for that. On the GPS, they see that there is a road through the village under the bridge. Ideally, large vehicles should have stayed on the motorway, says project manager Brian Lund in the county council. OWN THE ROAD: Vestfold and Telemark County Council owns the road. Brian Lund works as a project manager there. Photo: Petter Melsom / news He understands that the residents of Langangen are disappointed. Still, he can’t do anything about it. – No money has been set aside for this here, and the solution has been created according to our rules. Lund adds that motorists should stop and wait for each other, and not drive onto the pavement. – It’s tight down here and there isn’t room for two lorries, and then you have to wait until the cars have passed. FRIDAY QUEUES: South on the E18, there will be a slow-moving queue past Langangen. It is then that more people choose the old road via the small village. Photo: Atle Storemyr / Droneinfo.no - Hope it will be worth it Nye Veier AS replies to news that they have deliberately avoided jobs that obstruct traffic on the motorway this summer. Now they are casting bridge piers a little further away. NYE VEIER: Communications Director Christian Altmann at Nye Veier AS. Photo: Nye Veier – This is work that does not affect the traffic picture at all, writes communications director Christian Altmann. But when the summer holidays are over, the development will be at full speed. That means more queues. In three years, everything will be much better. Until then, the residents have to live with being a bypass village. – I hope it will be worth it in the end, says Marthe Nøklegård.
ttn-69
Queuing on the E18 gives Langangen thousands of cars through the village – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
