– I’m a little shaky, says Terje Brenden. He experienced the nightmare of his life when the bridge collapsed under him and the lorry on 15 August last year. The car slid down towards the river, but stopped where the bridge had a crack. Later, Brenden was rescued by rescuers from a helicopter. RESCUED: It was dramatic when Terje Brenden was rescued from the truck on 15 August 2022. He suffered no physical injuries from the accident. The sane driver has not said much about the matter until now. But today he was happy that the bridge was open again, and that everything seemed to be working properly. – Being the first to cross the bridge becomes a form of therapy, and I trust that it works, says Brenden. Following the dramatic episode, Brenden has avoided wooden bridges. – I have driven over many bridges, but none made of wood. Fortunately, this is not a wooden bridge, he says. A middle belt bridge The bridge over Gudbrandsdalslågen was not just an ordinary transport channel. It was he who brought the village together, people on both sides of the river could bypass each other whenever they wanted. When the bridge went into the river, it divided the village in two. It has been worst for those who live on the west side of Gudbrandsdalslågen. For almost a year, they have driven a long way on a bad diversion road to get where they are going every day. Today there was finally a bridge connection across the river again. Not a day too early, many of the residents think. – At first we thought the bridge would open for Christmas. Then it was said in the spring, and that our children would be allowed to go or be transported over, says Ingeborg Frøyse Moe. Difficult year: Ingeborg Frøyse Moe does not think there is much to celebrate that the bridge is in place. Photo: Lars Erik Skrefsrud / news Time-consuming detours She is one of those who think this has been a terribly difficult year, and does not think there is much to celebrate that the bridge is in place. She is supported by mother-of-five Nina Bjørnesset. The youngest girl, aged seven, has had a 40-minute bus ride each way to school. And the teenagers have lacked social contact outside school hours, they have been dependent on transport from their parents. – Now it will be good to have the weekday back again, says Bjørnesset. Can stand for 10 years The intermediate bridge, which will now restore the connection between the east and west sides of the town of Tretten, has cost NOK 75 million. The bridge was opened to light traffic on 23 June. Today, cars can also roll over. Vehicles weighing up to 60 tonnes can now pass. Although the bridge is an intermediate girder, it is designed to be able to stand for 10 years, and has the same safety requirements as a permanent bridge. Facts about the temporary bridge. Price tag: 75 million. Photo: Anders Fosse Skjåk Groundwork, planning, design and rental of the emergency bridge is estimated to cost approx. NOK 75 million. In addition, the costs for clean-up in and around Lågen after the bridge that fell amount to approximately NOK 40 million. The bridge is approx. 148 meters long and consists of a 124 meter long modular bridge with three spans and a 23 meter long and wider element bridge closest to the E6. It is normal for the structure to move slightly during use. The bridge consists of two bridges that are joined together and has one lane for vehicles and a separate lane for cyclists and pedestrians. Car traffic is controlled with light signals. The temporary bridge has been built to withstand the same type of traffic as the bridge that stood on county road 254 previously. It can stand for up to 10 years and must therefore be able to withstand several floods. The bridge crosses Trettenstryka, where the current is choppy and the water flow can vary greatly. Work on planning where a new, permanent bridge should be located is also underway. The county municipality has just carried out a feasibility study, which points towards a permanent bridge should be placed approximately where the former bridge was located. 14 bridges were closed The bridge that collapsed was a so-called wooden truss bridge. The incident had major consequences for all such bridges around the country. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration decided to close 14 wooden truss bridges around the country until the cause of the collapse on the Tretten bridge was investigated more closely. Several of them were closed for many months before they were declared safe for traffic. Terje Brenden is happy that the bridge at thirteen is open again. He himself has been at work in the truck every single day since the accident happened in August last year. But he says he feels it when he drives over bridges. Drove first: Terje Brenden was the first to drive across the bridge at Tretten, which is open today.
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Terje Brenden was the first to drive over the bridge at Tretten. New bridge open Friday – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
