E6 at Badderen in North Troms is open again after a bridge failure – NRK Troms and Finnmark

Six days after the parts of the temporary bridge arrived at Badderen in Kvænangen, the E6 is now open for traffic again.

It was on 31 May that the bridge over the Badderelva was closed, when it was discovered that the bridge was about to collapse. Since then, Norway has been divided in two, and all traffic has had to go via Finland.

This has led to up to 600 kilometers of detours for road users.

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration worked together with Stetind Entreprenører AS and Anlegg Nord AS to restore the connection.

Initially, it was estimated that it would take fourteen days before E6 could reopen. But in less than half the time it is now open for traffic.

– We are very happy that everything has gone according to plan, and that traffic can return to normal for both the local population and the transport industry, says Gunnar Haugen in a press release from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration.

He is responsible for national bridge preparedness in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration.

One-way skirt

During the time while the bridge was closed, the municipality has found alternatives for transport in the area.

Important medicines have been transported across the river by boat. The municipality also established a temporary solution with boat transport between Badderen boat harbor and the shore in Sætra for transport around the quarry site.

The speedboat MS Kvænangen has been used to transport schoolchildren past the collapsed bridge.

Today, students can get on the bus to get to school. The parents can get in the car and drive to work. Heavy transport and tourists avoid a mile-long detour via our neighboring country.

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration states that the temporary bridge is 50 meters long, and located above the existing bridge. It will not affect the temporary bridge if the existing one collapses.

The bridge has one lane and is light-regulated.

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration is in the process of establishing a permanent bridge.

– The most immediate solution is to lay the bridge in the current E6 route, and in that case it will be necessary to establish a new temporary bridge next to it until the permanent bridge is ready. Until we have made further assessments, we can not say anything about how long the temporary bridge will be in use or when a new permanent bridge can be in place, says Tore Lysberg.