It is pig weather in Western Norway on Friday. It is wet in the lowlands, heavy snow at high altitudes, reports of falling ice and strong gusts of wind.
In two places south of Bergen, large vehicles have been overturned on their sides.
The emergency services first responded to a report of a traffic accident on the Bømla bridge on county road 542 between Bømlo and Stord. The trailer of a truck train had overturned a passenger car.
The driver of the train is said to be uninjured, while the driver of the passenger car had chest pains and was taken to the emergency department for a check-up.
Partially insulated
Due to the wind, it has not yet been possible to remove the wagon train late on Friday evening.
The last scheduled ferry left at 10:30 p.m. In practice, this means that people cannot get to and from Bømlo on Friday evening.
WIND: It is very windy in Western Norway on Friday. Here at Bømlabrua where the trailer of a truck train overturned and hit a car. Photo: Bjørn Erik Ovesen
– We have preparedness on the ferry in the event of incidents that require emergency vehicles to leave, says Bømlo mayor Sammy Olsen (Sp).
In addition, he says, they have got a hatch on the bridge which makes it possible for emergency vehicles to pass if necessary.
– In the long term, we hope that the ferry will make more trips. I know that it is being worked on, says Olsen.
In any case, it means that ordinary people who are going home to Bømlo or visiting someone on the other side of the water right now will not get anywhere.
– Standing and swaying
– The forces of nature can be felt, says Bjørn Ovesen, who was on the spot close to where the wagon train overturned.
He is a professional driver himself. When he talks to TV 2, he stands in the middle of the chaos at Bømlo. The wind carries away most of his words before they reach the microphone.
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– I was ordered by the police to stand down. I guess the wind must be over 30 meters per second at most. I see that the car is swaying on the bridge now, he said shortly after 5pm on Friday.
A lorry overturned on a ferry quay at Rosendal in Kvinnherad in Western Norway Photo: Morten Nygård / Grenda
A lorry overturned shortly afterwards on a ferry quay at Rosendal in Kvinnherad in Western Norway. The lorry is said to have overturned due to very strong winds. Two people are slightly injured, the police report.
The ferry dock is closed.
Difficult driving conditions have also been announced in several places in the country. Slippery roads have been reported in several places and danger warnings for storms have been sent out.
Contingency plan
There is a warning of strong winds in the area and the bridge is blocked off. Pedestrians best stay away from the bridge due to the wind.
It is expected that the bridge will be closed for a long time, the police write further. The police have implemented a contingency plan due to the bridge closure, report Bergens Tidende.
– Our ambulance was in Stord when the accident happened, but we have found a solution there. We also share an emergency room with Stord, but now two GPs in Bømlo have been ordered to have an emergency room here, says Mayor Sammy Olsen (Sp) to BT.
– Do not drive with a ski box
Traffic operator Jørgen Bødtker at the Traffic Center tells TV 2 on Friday afternoon that the wind gusts are “below the limit” before the police have to get ready to close more bridges.
– If there’s a bit more wind now, the police will have to start selecting who can drive over the bridges and who can’t. Then there are a number of things that are excluded, such as ski boxes, cupboard trailers, trailers in general, motorhomes and some wagons, says Bødtker.
– Do you have any good advice for those who will be driving in Western Norway tonight?
– No matter where you drive in Western Norway today, it is important to have good windscreen wipers, whether it is due to rain, sleet or snow. If you want to go up a bit, you have to make sure you have enough washer fluid because of the salting, says Bødtker.
In addition, he warns, there are many people who drive around without rear lights without knowing it. It is something that the Road Traffic Center observes in its monitoring now, he says.
– People drive and fiddle and turn the light switch so the car looks cool in front, but then they turn off the lights behind. Now it is dangerous to drive without rear lights.
Several mountain passes are closed
At 16.31 the Road Traffic Center announced that Hardangervidda is closed.
A new assessment will be taken at 12.00 on New Year’s Eve.
These mountain passes are closed or have queues on Friday. Updated at 22:25:
Highway 13 Vikafjellet: Closed
E69 Skarsvåg – Nordkapp: Closed
E134 Haukelifjell: Column
County road 50 Hol-Aurland: Closed
County road 53 Tyin – Årdal: Closed
Fylkesvei 98 Ifjordfjellet: Closed
Fylkesvei 888 Bekkarfjord – Hopseidet: Closed
Fylkesvei 889 Snefjord – Havøysund: Closed
Fylkesvei 27 Venabygdsfjellet: Closed
Highway 52 Hemsedalsfjellet: Column
E6 Dovrefjell: Closed
Fylkesvei 27 Venabygdsfjellet: Closed
Fylkesvei 37 Rauland – Møsvatn: Column
Fylkesvei 51 Valdresflye: Closed
