Straumsundet Bridge Landslide Causes Heavy Traffic Delays on Sotra Route in Bergen, Norway, Digi Mart USA News (Øygarden, Norway): A landslide at Straumsundet Bridge has closed one lane of Route 555 in the direction of Bergen, causing heavy congestion during the afternoon rush hour. The Norwegian Road Traffic Center (Vegtrafikksentralen) is advising drivers who do not need to travel between Sotra and Bergen to avoid the area.
Police received a report of the landslide under the Straumsundet Bridge in Øygarden at 11:14 a.m. The slide occurred during concrete work near the bridge, when material collapsed along the road.
A police operations leader, Knut Dahl-Michelsen of West Police, said the bridge itself is not believed to be at risk.
The Road Traffic Center said cleanup will take many hours, and the closed lane is not expected to reopen before 4:00 p.m. Police directed traffic manually earlier in the day, and traffic lights have since been installed.
By 3:00 p.m., heavy congestion was reported in both directions, with queues stretching from the Liana tunnel in Laksevåg toward Sotra and through the Kolltveit tunnel.
The Road Traffic Center estimates delays of up to one hour and expects queues to persist well after the road reopens. Øygarden municipality has extended opening hours at its kindergartens and after-school programs so children can be picked up.
Officials also warned that school bus transport at several schools may be delayed today, and parents were asked to arrange alternative pickups if needed.
Øygarden Mayor Tom Georg Indrevik (H) described the situation as more demanding than usual, noting that the route is already challenging every day. He said the municipality has contingency plans for such events and hopes residents will help in the acute situation.
Officials have assured that everything possible is being done to reopen the road by tomorrow.
