– I am completely shocked by some motorists. That’s what principal Øystein Skoglund says at Brandval primary school in Kongsvinger municipality. Early on Wednesday morning, he was out to receive the children on their way to school. He was shaken by what he saw. Motorists running red lights, trailers lying in the pedestrian lane, and much more traffic than usual. – It was reasonably chaotic, says the principal. The road past Brandval school became a detour overnight, after the Norwegian Road Administration decided to close 14 wooden truss bridges. Now the Norwegian Road Administration will set up temporary bridges in some places. CLOSED: Norsenga bridge in Kongsvinger is one of the 14 bridges that have now closed. Photo: Ann-Kristin Mo Increased traffic on the school road Brandval school is located right next to the Brandval bridge. It is a light-regulated suspension bridge, where traffic only goes in one direction at a time. Many drivers will use the bridge in the future, since the Norsenga and Flisa bridges are closed. Skoglund says that many of the children use the Brandval bridge when they go to school. It has no physical obstacles between the footpath and the carriageway. It can quickly lead to dangerous situations when there is a lot of traffic, says Skoglund. He says that he himself was hit by three vehicles when he was trying to get the children safely across the bridge. – The children go here every single day, and I am frightened by what I see. SCARY: The principal says that several of the children think it was scary on the way to school. Photo: Ann-Kristin Mo But it is not just in Brandval that the closed bridges lead to dangerous traffic situations. Two large vehicles had to be rescued In Vang in Valdres, the situation was demanding on Wednesday. Mayor Vidar Eltun says so. UNFORTUNATE: The mayor believes that it goes without saying that there will be more dangerous situations with so much traffic. Photo: Arne Sørenes The Tveit bridge on the E16 is closed, and many have therefore driven on county road 2510 instead. There, two larger vehicles had to be recovered after going off the rails on Tuesday – a bus and a lorry. – Now there is a lot of traffic on a bad county road, so it goes without saying that there will be many unfortunate situations, says the mayor. DROVE OFF: Both a lorry and a bus ran off the narrow county road and had to be rescued. Photo: Nina Havro It is particularly challenging for heavy transport. It should preferably be about Hemsedal. The mayor says that he has received many inquiries from the residents of the municipality, including worried parents. He has therefore contacted the Norwegian Public Roads Administration to find a solution. – It cannot continue as the situation was today, he says. Expect delays It is not only the children who go to school in Brandval who feel the consequences of the closed bridges. School children throughout the county may experience changes, for example in the bus route to school. Tommy Forseth is unit manager for route offers in Inlandstrafikk. He says that the school bus has gone well on Wednesday. – We have mostly found alternative routes around, he says. Nevertheless, some delays must be expected when changes are made. – There are many pieces that need to be put in place. ALTERNATIVE ROUTES: Some school buses in the interior must now take alternative routes. Photo: Simon Skjelvik Brandseth / news Temporary solutions The Swedish Road Administration will set up temporary bridges to replace some of the 14 bridges that are now closed. They state this in a press release. This applies to Tveit bridge in Vang and Moumbekken bridge in Fredrikstad. – We are working to get temporary bridges established on the most congested roads and where there are the worst possible detours, says department director Cato Løkken in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. The Swedish Road Administration is also considering doing the same on the Norsenga bridge in Kongsvinger. – But due to the length of the bridge and the railway going under, this is a more complicated project, says Løkken. – For the children’s safety Back in Brandval, Rector Øystein Skoglund believes that immediate measures must be taken. – For the children’s safety, it cannot continue as it is now. Innlandet county council set up cones on the Brandval suspension bridge, so that motorists would not cross into the footpath. Most of the cones were run over and broken within a day. Therefore, the principal and the other employees at the school feel compelled to take action themselves. – We will be outside every morning and make sure that everything goes smoothly.
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Rector Øystein Skoglund shook after 14 bridges closed – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
