MALMØYA (Dagbladet): On Wednesday, the world’s largest warship sailed towards Oslo and anchored in the Bunnefjorden. Along the approach, thousands of people gathered to watch the huge war machine slide into glorious Norwegian summer weather.
Although the voyage into the fjord took several hours, there were many who did not manage to catch the journey.
Now people make a pilgrimage to Malmøya in Oslo, to see the USS “Gerald R. Ford”, a tipster tells Dagbladet.
According to the tipster, there is total traffic chaos in the area.
– Now the local people are standing and directing the traffic! But people don’t care. So now they’re standing here arguing, says the tipster from the queue, who he says is standing still.
CHAOS: Many have defied the police’s recommendation to set foot to see the warship. Photo: Tips
view more
Criticizes lack of direction
The tipster, who does not want to be named, is critical of the fact that the police are not on the scene directing traffic, as they were on Wednesday.
– If something happens out there, neither the police, fire brigade nor ambulance can come, says the tipster, who says that he is worried about the situation.
The tipster estimates that he has been queuing for half an hour on the small island when he talks to Dagbladet.
The distance from the far end of Malmøya, across Ormøya, to the E18 Mosseveien on the mainland is only two kilometres.
There are queues both on and off the islands. According to Google Maps, there is a slow queue and a 20-minute delay from the Old Town to the exit to the islands.
HEAVY TRAFFIC: There are long queues on Mosseveien out of Oslo. Photo: Marlene Lundberg Holm/Dagbladet
view more
Fierce atmosphere in the place
When the Dagbladet tipster has finally made it from work on Malmøya to Mosseveien on the mainland, he says that he has not seen any police on the road.
We call the police.
Just after 8pm on Thursday, they say that they have not received many reports about the traffic problems in the area.
– We are on site now, and some measures are being taken. There was a bit of a heated atmosphere between some of the people involved at the scene – residents or motorists, says police supervisor Christer Martinsen.
Taken aback: – A little nauseous
He says that the police are present with two patrols, and that there are “low shoulders” at the scene now.
According to Dagbladet’s reporter at the scene, the police are now directing traffic. The worst of the chaos must have subsided.
The police write on Twitter that the traffic will be a major additional burden for a poor road network and for the permanent residents of the islands. Earlier on Thursday, they went out with a recommendation for those interested in the show on Twitter.
– Yesterday there were major challenges to get the emergency services, home-based services for the needy and the permanent residents out, the police write, and advise aircraft carrier-fascinated Oslo residents to get on their feet or use a bicycle.
