– A year ago, the flood took the old bridge that stood right behind us here, says Henning Mortensen. Now the newest bridge over the Badderelva in Kvænangen has also been taken by the spring flood. The E6 that connects Troms and Finnmark is therefore closed. Mortensen, who is next door to the bridge, shakes his head in despair. This he has for a long time feared would happen. When the old bridge was taken by the water masses, the river got a new direction towards the newest bridge. – We then suggested that it had to be filled with mass, so the river and the water flow got a straighter run down to the newer bridge, he says. – But it was not taken seriously. Now the bridge has suffered a break in the middle, and is about to collapse. The bridge over Badderen is about to collapse. This means that the E6 in North Troms is closed and the country is divided into two. Several feared collapse Kjetil Haug, leader of the water and river association in Badderen, is also not surprised that the bridge is about to collapse. – After the spring flood took the old bridge, we saw how the water masses headed straight towards the newest bridge. When the water began to dig out the riverbed under the central pillar of the bridge, I feared that it too would go into the spring flood. – I was right about that, unfortunately. This bridge can no longer withstand. Kjetil Haug is the leader of the water and river association in Badderen. He says he has on several occasions given verbal notice of his concern for the bridge. Photo: private The focus is on finding solutions for a new bridge Both Mortensen and Haug say that they have notified of their concerns. But according to acting municipal director Bjørn Ellefseter in Kvænangen municipality, no written concerns have been received. – But we have experienced that some of the inhabitants have been excited about what is happening this year, after last year’s flood took the old bridge that was next to it, he says. But the observations of Henning Mortensen and Kjell Haug are in line with the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. According to them, last year’s major floods have led to changes in the river course. The river has dug deeper under the E6 bridge. Work was started on erosion protection this autumn, which was stopped when winter came. Press officer at the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Eli Ramstad, says they do not want to comment on the allegations from the local population. She justifies this with the fact that they now prefer to find solutions on how to restore a safe connection across the Badderelva. – In that connection, we will go thoroughly through what has been done before, and it will necessarily take some time, Ramstad says. Mayor of Kvænangen municipality Eirik Losnegaard Mevik, believes the municipality must go through the emergency preparedness to prevent the E6 must be closed in the years to come. Photo: Hanne Wilhelms / NRK Must look at preparedness in the future Mayor of Kvænangen municipality Eirik Losnegaard Mevik, believes that wilder and wetter weather is a general challenge. Nevertheless, municipalities in the north are extra vulnerable. – What is extraordinary for us is that there are no detour options. We have to go via Finland. It is very special, so there is reason to go through this situation. – We must look at the emergency preparedness and what we do if this type of incident should happen again in the future. This is not the first time the municipality has experienced being split in two. The mountain pass over Kvænangsfjellet is often closed in winter due to the risk of avalanches. Henning Mortensen says he hopes a new bridge will be in place soon. – It probably goes fast a week or two. This means that I have to drive via Finland this Friday, says Henning Mortensen, while he stands and studies the broken bridge from a distance. Until further notice, both cars and lorries must take a detour via Finland if you are to drive between Troms and Finnmark.
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The local population feared that the bridge over the E6 in Kvænangen would collapse – NRK Troms and Finnmark
