You're crossing – or about to cross – the site of one of Norway's most dramatic infrastructure failures in recent memory.
On 2 February 2015, at 14:40 in the afternoon, drivers on the E18 watched in disbelief as the road surface ahead of them suddenly dropped. A quick clay landslide had swept away the foundations of one of the bridge pillars. Cars had to brake hard to avoid driving into the void. Remarkably, nobody was injured, though around 45 people found themselves stranded on the buckling bridge, their vehicles too close to the collapse point to be safely retrieved.
The southbound span had to be demolished by controlled explosion – 2,700 tonnes of concrete brought down on 21 February. The northbound span was saved, but needed extensive repairs including being physically lifted back into position with specialised jacks.
Five Months of Chaos
The E18 was completely closed between Bentsrud and Island junctions from 2 February to 26 June 2015. For nearly five months, around 10,000 vehicles daily had to find alternative routes. The small town of Holmestrand, which the motorway had been built to bypass, suddenly found its streets clogged with through traffic again. Local roads through Re and the surrounding area experienced what newspapers called "køkaos" – queue chaos. There were reports of road rage, dangerous overtaking, and lorry drivers taking matters into their own hands to stop queue-jumpers.
An old tunnel through Holmestrand existed – it had carried the E18 until 2001 – but authorities concluded it would take five months and cost 350 million kroner to reopen, making it pointless. Extra ferries were laid on between Moss and Horten to ease the pressure.
What Caused It?
The investigation found the landslide was triggered by earthwork being done nearby for a golf course. A bulldozer had been moving soil in an area with sensitive quick clay deposits. The bridge itself, built in 1998, sat on steel piles driven into bedrock – but the forces from a quick clay slide are enormous. Geologists had known about problematic ground conditions in the area, but the combination of factors proved catastrophic.
The southbound bridge was completely rebuilt and reopened fully in July 2016. The total cost ran into hundreds of millions of kroner.
You're driving on solid ground now – but the episode was a stark reminder of how quickly Norway's geology can turn dangerous, even under modern infrastructure.