The Trollstigen is closed for the rest of the year due to the risk of landslides – people walk and cycle past the barrier – news Møre og Romsdal – Local news, TV and radio

– It’s closed. Rocks are falling! With clear words, road manager Ole Jan Tønnesen shouts in English at a cyclist who is heading towards the barricade that has closed the road up to Trollstigen. On Monday, a rock fell down the mountainside by the world-famous tourist road and hit a car. On Thursday, the news came that the Trollstigen is closed for the rest of the season. Nevertheless, several tourists cycle and walk right past the barrier. Tønnesen believes that they have nothing to do with it. – And whether you are cycling, sitting in a convertible or driving a car – if a rock hits you in the head, it will hit you just as hard, says the road manager to news. Road manager in Møre and Romsdal county municipality, Ole Jan Tønnesen, clearly tells the tourists that they should not go up the Trollstigen. Photo: Eirik Haukenes / news High risk of landslides The national tourist road in Rauma is closed for the winter. Every spring, the county council, which is responsible for the road, carries out investigations to find out when it is safe to open it. This year this took a little longer than usual. And just ten days after this year’s season opening, a stone tumbled down the mountainside and hit a car. Trollstigen is one of Norway’s national tourist routes. Hundreds of thousands of tourists come here every year. Photo: Halvard Alvik / NTB The stone broke the window of the car and ended up in the passenger seat. The road was closed for four days, before the county council said that they were not going to open the tourist road again this season. The racial danger is too high. Trollstigen: Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news Aerial photo Trollstigen is a mountain pass on county road 63 between the municipalities of Rauma and Fjord in Møre and Romsdal. The road connects Valldal on Sunnmøre with Åndalsnes in Romsdal. Tourists from all over the world are lured to the Trollstigen every year with its iconic, winding hairpins. Trollstigen is one of 18 National Tourist Routes. The road is 55 kilometers long and was officially opened on 31 June 1936. It has eleven hairpin bends. The highest point is 850 meters above sea level. The Trollstigen is closed for the winter every year and usually reopens for the season during May/June. Passing the barrier But the tourists who have come from a long way to experience the narrow bends and raw nature on the mountainside in Rauma, cannot stay away. Large groups of cyclists and walkers think this is the day to go for a walk on the dangerous road. Ausra and Gintaras Makmarpitios do not care that the road is closed due to the risk of landslides. Photo: Eirik Haukenes / news – Why not? The fact that cars are not allowed does not mean that it is not allowed for us, says Gintaras Makmarpitios, who is here with his wife and family. But the road manager clearly states that the closure of the road also applies to those who are not on four wheels. – The father is exactly the same, he says to news. – Are those who walk and cycle up here playing with their lives? – Yes, if it’s not safe to drive a car, it’s not safe to walk either, says Tønnesen. He emphasizes that they have chosen to close the road as a result of the risk assessments they have carried out and the danger of new landslides. – It is no longer safe to drive here. Then we have no choice, we are forced to close. We must put life and health first. – We wanted to take a relatively simple trip in the area. When we got up here we saw that the road was closed, but we decided to just walk. Anton (we didn’t get the rest of the name) Tourist Recently 70-year-old Paul Geiger from Germany has also driven a long way to finally experience the road in the majestic mountain landscape. – This trip is my gift to myself. I’ve been dreaming about it for 10-12 years, and now I did it. He is disappointed that the road is closed, but he should follow the recommendation and take a detour. – I have driven almost 6,000 kilometers to get here. And now I have to take a tour and see the Trollstigen from Valldal. But it’s a holiday, I take it easy. Paul Gaiger says he is used to the Alps, but that Trollstigen is something completely different. – It is spectacular. I’m glad I’m here. Photo: Eirik Haukenes / news The road is still open between Valldal in Fjord municipality and up to the plateau at Trollstigen. However, it is not possible to drive the famous hairpin turns in Trollstigen. Considering better marking But apart from a sign that says the road is closed, and a barrier that closes the road to cars, no information has been set up for pedestrians and cyclists. The road manager says they will make it clearer to those who want to go on a walk, too, that it is unsafe. – We could perhaps have informed road users better that it is actually also closed to pedestrians, and we have discussed that, says Tønnesen. The road manager says they could probably have marked better for pedestrians and cyclists. Photo: Eirik Haukenes / news Published 22.06.2024, at 11.28



ttn-69