Norway’s Public Roads Administration says strengthening work needs to be done on the Flisa Bridge, one of 14 wooden bridges recently closed over safety concerns.
The three-span 196m-long truss bridge crosses the Glomma River in the city of Flisa, south-eastern Norway. It was opened in 2003 and is the world’s largest modern wooden bridge constructed for vehicular traffic. However, it, along with 13 other wooden bridges were closed in August a day after the after the Tretten Bridge collapsed.
Inspections of the bridges have been carried out by the Swedish Roads Administration on behalf of the Norwegian authority.
Innlandet County Council has said it supports the bridge’s assessment designing improvements to the structure, according to a report by Gunnar Eiterjord of the Norwegian Road Administration. Eiterjord reportedly said that the transition between the bridge deck and the trusses on the side of the bridge are a major concern.
No schedule for reopening has been given.
To date, the Moumbekken Bridge in Fredrikstad and the Tveit Bridge in Vang have been declared safe and reopened to traffic. The Norsenga Bridge in Kongsvinger has been reopened but with reduced traffic volumes.
According to Norwegian media reports, the 150m-long, 10m-wide Tretten Bridge near Lillehammer – only a decade old – broke in two, collapsing into the river stranding two vehicles and their occupants. There were no casualties or injuries in the early morning accident on August 15, but one driver was airlifted to safety.
